Pastry King
by Suracis7
Summary: Natsu Dragneel, the esteemed Pastry Chef of Magnolia works together with his chefs to create the most exquisite pastries for their clients. Due to the shop's increasing popularity, a second shop is being opened/invested by a well-known popular and rich entrepreneur. Join Natsu for an adventure as he tries to figure out love between his pastries and the entrepreneur.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Currently in process of a re-write. Chapters 1-4 completed. Thank you for your patience.

**Chapter 1**

"Please accept me as your apprentice! I'll do anything!" My eyes widened as a short gasp of air escaped my throat. Looking around at the other pastry chefs, I wasn't surprised to see them snickering at my situation. Quickly glancing back at the young man who was on his knees with his face and both hands on the floor, I slowly narrowed my eyes.

"Do you even know what you're asking?" The aspiring chef looked up to me and nodded his head feverishly. "I don't think you do. Famous chefs have come into this kitchen asking to work under me but I rejected them all. What makes you so special?" He momentarily looked away, biting his lip as he looked around the kitchen. The blondie hastily stood up and made himself comfortable at one of the unused stainless steel tables in the corner. Deciding to leave him be, I wrinkled my nose as I returned to my station to finish my mille-feuille.

"Um, Natsu? Are you really going to let him use our kitchen?" I dusted the pastry with confectioner's sugar, cocoa, pastry crumbs, and roasted almonds. Then I glazed the top layer with white and brown icing stripes to give it an elegant appearance. Out of the corner of my eye, Lyon was still staring at the blondie, which was beginning to annoy me.

"Does it really matter? If he screws up, he'll be out of here in no time." Hearing the snowy-haired sous chef sigh, I glanced over to see him rub his forehead.

"You know Erza will have something to say if our food cost goes up right? She's been on our asses about maintaining it below 25%." Not really seeing it as a big issue, I took the mille-feuille and delicately placed it on a small, white plate.

"That's not my problem. If she expects us to do our best, then she needs to understand that we're bound to make mistakes from time to time. And when I say we, I mean _you_ guys."

"Very funny. Don't say I didn't warn you." I brought my head back up to see him finally walk back to his station as the kitchen door opened up revealing one of the maids.

"Is the pastry ready yet?" I brought my attention back to the mille-feuille, aware that she was here for it. To finish, I positioned a bright red strawberry on the side for the pastry to appear aesthetically pleasing. "It looks so delicious! I think I'll take this to our lovely customer now." When Lucy picked up the dish, I apathetically waited to hear the exchange between the new couple at work. "Loke! Are we still good for tonight?" And there it is.

"Of course my dear. 21:00 right?" She nodded as she opened the door, making sure not to drop the mille-feuille. Looking up at the clock, I couldn't stop myself from sighing when it was only 18:00. Today was definitely a long day. Hmm, it's probably time to take out the pithiviers. I took a pair of dark, green oven mitts that were laying near my station as I strode over to the oven. Once I had the mittens on, I opened the door, which quickly released the boiling temperature that I could feel even through my clothes. Not really in the mood to sweat, I hastily removed a tray full of pithiviers.

"Hey Lyon, these are ready. Make sure you dust them with confectioner's sugar and don't wait too long this time. And then stuff them with filling."

"Got it chef." The slant-eyed man took the tray as I closed the oven and removed the oven mitts, hanging it near the oven.

"Jeez, how do you work this thing?" I stared at the blondie as he placed his right hand on his chin and began to tap it. Was he trying to figure out how to turn the oven on?

"Need some help?" Surprised by Loke's offer, he nodded with such vigor that I almost thought his head was going to fall off. Looks like we have another interesting character in the kitchen. Choosing not to waste any more time, I made my way to one of the sinks and began washing my hands.

"Natsu!" Gazing at the source of the voice, I saw a smile form on Lucy's lips at which I only shook my head as I wiped my hands dry. If she was back in the kitchen, it only meant one thing.

"I'm not going out there. Take my sous chef if they want to thank someone." Glancing over to Lyon, his eyes widened as he accidentally overfilled one of the pithiviers.

"Jeez, really? Do you always have to make me go out there?" Even though he gave a questioning stare, I shrugged him off.

"You know I hate dealing with people." He shook his head as he took off the white apron and laid it on his station.

"Loke, do you mind taking over?"

"Of course not, I'll take good care of your pithiviers." Without another word, Lyon left the kitchen while Loke started to fill the pastries with cream. Suddenly, Lucy quickly closed the distance between us as I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why can't you meet with our clients once in a while? All they want to do is thank you for baking something delicious." Unsure of what to do, I looked over to Loke for help but when he was pre-occupied, I simply rolled my eyes at her. There's no point in explaining myself to someone who wouldn't understand. "Don't you roll your eyes at me!"

"Lucy, leave him alone." When she turned her gaze to Loke, I took this as an opportunity to walk away. I wasn't interested in talking.

"But I don't see the problem. If he's the head chef, shouldn't that be a part of his job or something?" I began mixing choux pastry dough for the beignets while ensuring the consistency was good. After checking the consistency, I slowly poured the mix into a pastry bag.

"If he doesn't want to go out there, you can't force him. He _is_ the head pastry chef of our patisserie and because of that, we've been so successful that we're about to open a second patisserie."

"I know but," When I heard the kitchen door burst open with such force, I looked up to see Lisanna panting at the entrance. What's going on?

"Lucy! We need help out there! It's getting really busy!"

"I'll be right out!" Lisanna definitely looked a bit overwhelmed as she tried to catch her breath. If I didn't know any better, she looked like she was running a marathon. Glancing over to Lucy, she somehow began an eye-staring contest with me. Once it felt like a couple of seconds had passed, I broke eye contact by placing the dough into a pastry bag. I began to pipe them out on a tray as I quickly finished up a row of seven beignets. These should sell really quickly if they're baked properly this time. I watched Loke as I began to remember the time the idiot almost set the pastries on fire.

"Come on Lucy! What are you waiting for?" When her footsteps receded out of the kitchen, I shook my head. What was her problem anyway? And that mini staring contest? Sheesh, she's too much for me. Only a person like Loke could deal with her. After piping out another row of beignets, I heard a small plate placed in front of me. Glancing upwards, I saw not only the blonde chef but also a single moorkop glazed in dark chocolate.

"That actually looks pretty good." As Loke approached us, I studied the station he was leaving to see if he filled the pithiviers. "Don't worry! I already finished them." Satisfied, I focused my attention on the pastry sitting in front of me. Not only was the moorkop partly covered with whipped cream but it also had a piece of pineapple to finish.

"So, what do you think?" Without responding, I took the moorkop and spun it 360 degrees to see if it was pleasing to the eyes. Convinced that it looked good, I slowly took a bite. Immediately, I could taste every ingredient used in baking the pastry. From the warm chocolate to the cool pineapple, everything was a perfect balance. I sat the pastry back down and I could no longer resist the smile forming on my face. This was one of the best pastries I've had among all the chefs that's been in here.

"What's your name?" When I made eye contact with my upcoming protegé, his eyes widened a bit. Guess I caught him off guard.

"Sting Eucliffe."

"Where'd you learn how to bake like this?"

"Back in France when I was attending pastry school."

"I see. Well, we usually start early in the morning so make sure you're back here at 05:00." I grinned at the aspiring chef in front of me as a huge, bright smile formed on his face. When I glanced over to Loke, I wasn't shocked to see his mouth wide open.

"Thank you Mr. Dragneel! I'll be back tomorrow!" He immediately shook my hand vigorously and quickly made his way out of the kitchen. He didn't have to shake my hand _that_ hard.

"I'm surprised you actually took him in considering the hundreds you've turned away. At least he seems excited about being your apprentice." When I suddenly heard screaming outside of the patisserie, I peered over to Loke. "Looks like you made someone really happy."

"You think? And who wouldn't be excited to work for me? I mean, I _am_ the best pastry chef in Magnolia."

"Oh look, your ego is showing." I glared at the four-eyed man when he merely gave a chuckle. "Well, not to say you don't deserve it of course." I shook my head as I looked up at the clock to see that it was 18:45. Guess it's almost time for me to leave.

"Where's Natsu!?" As soon as I heard _her_ voice, I felt irritated when I looked over at the kitchen door as it shot open.

"Erza? What are you doing here?" Lyon's voice came out from behind her as they both walked into the kitchen.

"Natsu, I need you to stay a bit longer. Our business partner who's investing in our second patisserie is on his way here."

"So?" When she gave me one of the biggest glares I've ever seen, I immediately regretted it as a part of me wanted to bite my tongue off for asking such a question.

"That means you need to make every single thing he orders. This needs to go off without a hitch!" Staring at her, I already knew that no matter what I say, she wasn't going to let me go home. Even if I do bring up the fact that I've been here since 05:00.

"All right, all right. I'll stay." I looked away as I wasn't in the mood to see her reaction. She would probably just nod in satisfaction.

"Good. I'll be with him during his visit so do what you're always good at." Looking back up, I was just in time to see her leave the kitchen just as fast as she entered. About time.

"Oh yeah I forgot. My brother is actually the one investing in the second patisserie." Staring at my sous chef, I became intrigued by what was just said. Brother? I didn't even know he had a brother. Wait, why didn't he tell us this before? I began narrowing my eyes at the slant-eyed chef and it didn't recede in strength even when he nervously laughed after noticing my gaze. "He gave me a call the other day saying he was expanding his main company and wanted to invest in a side business. I brought up how Erza was looking to open up a second patisserie but I didn't know he actually got in contact with her."

"No wonder you're working as a pastry chef. You're already well off with your brother so you don't need to worry about money." Loke began laughing, which only irritated the snow man when he formed his own glare.

"Very funny. And just so you know, that's definitely not the case but I'm sure Natsu is getting paid a ton over here." As they turned their attention towards me, I leisurely walked back to my station in an effort to change the topic.

"Shouldn't you two be getting back to work?" I asked as I continued working on my beignets.

"Sheesh, I like you better when we're out drinking." I gave a threatening look to Loke who only raised his hands in defeat. "At least you're more fun and not intense." He laughed at his own joke as he went back to the pithiviers and began placing them on a white plate for clients to buy.

"Natsu! We got our first order from the VIP guest and he's so hot! I think he might be your type!" I almost let the pastry bag slip through my fingers when I could hear a soft snicker come from Loke. Just as I was about to give four-eyes another dirty look, I stopped mid-way when my sous chef looked a bit shocked.

"Wait, you're into other guys?" I began studying Lyon's face, trying to discern whether his question was genuine. That's weird, I thought everyone knew after that one time some guy tried hitting on me.

"Whoa, wait a second Lyon. Don't tell me you didn't know?" As Lyon glanced between us, Loke busted out laughing. The sous chef cleared his throat, obviously annoyed with the way the idiot kept laughing at the situation.

"No, I didn't know. However, the way I think about you hasn't changed Natsu."

"Wait, don't tell me you're in love with flame brain over there?" Rolling my eyes at his dumb question, a red tint began to appear on Lyon's face.

"I didn't mean it like that! I meant in a non-romantic slash respectful kind of way!" When the snow owl tried to compose himself, I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Without speaking another word, Lisanna dropped the order at my station and merely giggled on her way out. After scanning the order, I immediately began to make the pastry. This might take a while to prepare since it's basically _my_ pastry. "Hey, uh, Natsu? Is it okay if I see my brother for a bit?" I paused to stare at my sous chef, annoyed that he would ask me such a question while at work. Nevertheless, I nodded my head.

"Yeah, sure. Just be quick about it. There _are_ other clients to take care of besides your brother."

"Will do!" Lyon left the kitchen in such a hurry that it seemed kind of suspicious. Out of the corner of my eye, Loke began getting closer as he tried to read the order on my table.

"Really?" He picked up the order as he scratched the back of his head. "Something so simple?" I instantly had the urge to smack him for saying that but I showed a little restraint this evening.

"Don't undermine the macaron."

"Sheesh, sorry. Which one are you going to make?"

"Probably the rose macaron."

"What!?" When he threw the order back down, I kept my attention on the pastry. "I've asked you to make that for me so many times but you never do. That's not fair. Wait, is it because Lisanna said the guy could be your type?" I immediately stopped my preparation when I incredulously stared at Loke.

"No _moron_. It's because if I don't do my best, the queen of hell will chew my ass out."

"Yeah but I'm sure it's not as good as a guy doing it." My jaw slightly fell at the joke he just made. Wow, am I really the only one hearing all of this?

"Loke, I didn't know you were a pervert." I quickly glanced over at the door to see if Lisanna was actually there. As I turned back, Loke's face was all red and that's when I began to laugh.

"That timing was amazing." Even when he elbowed my side, I continued to snicker at Loke's situation.

"I didn't know you were still here Lisanna." The maid pouted as she placed her arms on her waist.

"Well, I wanted to make sure you knew to make his latte too."

"Oh, yeah I got it." When he walked back to his station with such a depressed look, I actually had to hold back from laughing any further. It's about time one of the maids found out how much of a pervert he was. I shook my head and looked up at the clock to see it was 19:05. Turning my attention back to the macaron, I decided to put all of my effort into the last pastry of the evening.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Wow, you made that pretty quickly didn't you? And it looks so good! Mind if I take a bite?" After placing a bright, pink rose next to a tower of three pink macarons, I glared at Loke who was hovering over my shoulders with a hungry expression.

"Can you call for one of the maids instead of letting your saliva contaminate our kitchen?" With his arm, he slowly wiped his lips as the ends of his mouth contoured upwards.

"Well aren't you so demanding?" The chef steadily made his way to the entrance and made some sort of gesture outside the kitchen. When he held the door open for Lisanna to enter, I held up the dish for her to take to our VIP quest but when she widened her eyes, I instantly remembered that I haven't made this specific pastry in months.

"You made your infamous rose macaron? I thought you would have made something simple like pistachio or dark chocolate." As she approached, I shook my head and gave a soft smile.

"I didn't feel like making something ordinary today." A small glint appeared in her eyes as she picked up the plate from my hands.

"Now don't go trying to impress our VIP. I did say he's sexy but I'm pretty sure he has a thing for the ladies especially with the way he keeps flirting with Lucy." I momentarily looked behind the maid to see Loke narrowing his eyes at the floor. Quickly turning my attention back to Lisanna, I stared annoyingly at her for the smart comment. When she merely made her way out of the kitchen with a laugh, I shook my head as I looked up at the clock to see it was 19:40. Wait, where the hell is Lyon?

"Loke, can you find out what that idiot sous chef of mine is doing? He's been gone for almost an hour."

"Yeah, sure. Besides, I think I'll have a word or two with his brother." As Loke left the kitchen, I began wiping the stainless steel table with a rag that was soaking in detergent. After removing most of the debris, I scanned the kitchen to see that it wasn't as messy as I thought it would be. Surprising since it was especially busy today. Then again, I'm not working with amateur chefs. I grabbed some of the dirty trays I used earlier and neatly organized them at the three compartment sink.

As I glanced out the window, I felt a bit relaxed when some of the sun's rays basked me in its warmth. I began closing my eyes and thought about my time at Fairy Tail High. I remember being excited, finally able to leave Magnolia and travel the world to learn how to make delicious pastries. I didn't know how and when I became fascinated with being a pastry chef but I think it was around the time I accidentally stopped by a patisserie in senior year. I felt a smile creep up on my face when I remember staring at the pastries behind the glass window with the urge to eat each one. But I couldn't. Each of them were so mesmerizing and it was almost as if someone put their heart and soul into making them.

After about five years, I returned to Magnolia to make a name for myself. Somehow, during that time, I reconnected with some of my old friends like Erza. Despite us arguing over stupid things and calling each other names, I actually consider her as an older sister. Back at Fairy Tail High, she always said she wanted to run her own business but recently, she never had much luck especially when her partners were 'incompetent' as she says. When she wanted to open a patisserie for me, there was no way I could say no! She originally wanted me as the only maitre patissier working but when we became busier, we needed to hire other chefs to support the amount of clients we had. That's how we found Lyon and Loke and surprisingly, Lucy as well when she applied to work as a maid.

"Oh Natsu!" When I heard Lucy's sing-song voice, I refrained from looking annoyed as I turned around to see her. "Our very special guest wants to meet with the chef who made his macaron." My eye twitched as I walked away from the three compartment sink and into the locker room without another word. "Don't act like this!" I continued to ignore her as I took off my white chef jacket and hat. "If you don't come out, Erza will be very upset!" Before I could hang my jacket, I visualized the she-devil strangling me for not greeting her business partner. Oh well. Why should I care? It's not my job to play the game of politics anyway. I hung my jacket on the rack and wore a dark blue t-shirt.

"Natsu!" That was fast. I quickly changed out of my chef pants and into some pink khakis. As I buttoned up my pants, the door slammed open as I ruffled my hair to give it a spiky appearance. "What's taking you so long to come out of the kitchen? Don't keep us waiting!"

"You know I hate dealing with people." I shut the door to my locker and turned around to gaze at Erza's semi-dark expression. "All I do is go out there, smile, listen to them say thank you, and then go about my business. It's so stupid that it's a waste of time."

"Listen, you only have to do it once tonight. Just one last time!"

"You said that when a client wanted to use us for their wedding. And your reason was to 'seal the deal' to bring us at least 1 million Jewels."

"And it did, didn't it?" I blankly stared at her, hoping she understood that she wasn't going to convince me any time soon. "Why are you so stubborn? Especially at a time like this?"

"Am I interrupting something?" When I heard someone's voice, I looked behind Erza to see who was outside the locker room. As he walked closer, my eyes widened as I quickly looked away, pretending to ignore the newcomer. Even though it was a short glimpse, he had spiky black hair, dark blue eyes and was wearing black jeans and a shirt with a white jacket adorned with blue stripes.

"No, of course not Gray!" Glancing over to Erza, she turned around and waved both her hands back and forth. "We were just on our way out." A couple of footsteps echoed behind the raven and when Lyon popped up, I stared at Lucy as she shrugged her shoulders. Is this guy his brother? The so-called investor of our second patisserie?

"Oh there you are Natsu! I was so surprised to see your rose macaron come out of the kitchen that I couldn't resist taking a bite! I finally got to have a taste of it!"

"You do realize that wasn't for you right?" I slowly gave the devil's glare as Lyon nervously laughed.

"It was only one bite I promise! My brother had the pleasure of having everything else right?" He nudged his brother with his elbow and when a small smile formed on his lips, I swore I heard a couple of girls swooning somewhere.

"Yes, it was actually quite exquisite. I'm not a big fan of desserts so I never thought I would fall in love with one." When he made eye contact, I hastily looked away in hopes that he didn't catch me staring. "Lyon told me how the infamous maitre patissier dislikes going into the dining room to speak with his clients. So, I figured I would come into the back and meet with him instead. I hope you don't mind, do you Erza?" I looked back to see Erza shake her head with a pleasant smile.

"Of course not. However, I think it would be best if we returned to the dining room. Right Natsu?" When she glanced at me, I was momentarily taken aback when she pleaded with her eyes instead of using threats and insults. Was this really such a big deal to her? I sighed under my breath in defeat.

"Yeah, sure. Why not." Should have known better than try to win this battle.

"Great! Lyon, can you and the others start closing up the restaurant while we chat for a bit?" The slant-eyed man nodded as we made our way out of the locker room and kitchen. As I examined the front of the house, there were few clients finishing up their desserts. Staring at Lucy, she changed the sign to 'Closed' and locked the door with an allen wrench. I turned around to see Loke glaring at Erza's investment partner while Lisanna was clearing some of the vacant tables with help from Lyon. Turning my attention to the two I was following, we finally arrived at their table. Quickly noticing that it was one of the circular tables with three chairs, that means that I would have to sit between them no matter where I sat. Well, that's annoying. When Erza and Gray took their seats, I took whichever wasn't taken.

"Natsu, right?" My heart began beating faster as I stared at the raven. Just be normal and you'll do fine Natsu. You don't want this guy to think any less of you especially since he's 99.9% your type!

"Yeah, a pleasure to meet you." Smiling at the man across from me caused him to do the same but it was a bit different. It was sexy. Almost _too_ sexy.

"How long have you been a pastry chef?"

"Almost six years."

"So it's safe to assume you have exceptional skill in your field?" My left eyebrow rose a little higher than it should when it felt like he was questioning my abilities.

"What you ate is a testament to my skills." I gave a pause before I felt my restraint start to loosen up. "Or what I lack since you seem to doubt my skills as a pastry chef."

"Natsu!" I stared at Erza out of the corner of my eye as she threw me a threatening look.

"It's okay." The raven chuckled as I tried to keep up the neutral expression. Didn't want to piss Erza off any further. "It's not that I doubt your abilities as a patissier. Even an amateur investor can see the good things that can come out from this _mutual_ relationship." After wrinkling my nose, I looked away towards the front door. Of course, I should have known he was just investing to get more money out of it. "My apologies. I don't think I introduced myself yet. Where are my manners? The name is Gray Fullbuster. It's a pleasure to meet you Natsu." When his hand stretched out from across the table, I instinctively did the same.

"Sir, I'm sorry but we're closed." I paused right before shaking his hand as I glanced over to Lucy. "We'll re-open tomorrow morning at 10:00." As she was struggling to keep the stranger out of the restaurant, I looked back to Erza to see that she was just as confused as I am.

"I just need to see Natsu. It will only take a minute!" Hearing a familiar voice, I immediately stared at Lucy who was trying to keep him out as spiky blonde hair peered through the opening. Is that Sting?

"Let him in Lucy." The maid questioningly stared at me for a second or two but opened the door revealing just who I expected. Sting. Although, why is he out of breath? He looks like he ran a mile or something. I soon noticed a small, white box in his hands when its color was distinctively different from his blue clothes. When Sting caught sight of me, he gave a huge grin and quickly made his way over to us ignoring the other clients who were commenting about the disturbance.

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Dragneel but," Immediately, I raised my hand to interrupt when he was being so traditional.

"You can just call me Natsu. Don't be so formal. It feels kind of weird, you know?" If it was possible, his smile grew even more as he placed the white box near my chest.

"You got it Natsu. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for accepting me as your apprentice. I'm aware with how many chefs you've turned away so I consider it a great honor. Please accept this gift as a token of my appreciation." Gently, I grabbed the box from his hands and slowly placed it on the table. I wasn't sure what to expect so I ripped the one piece of tape that was holding it together and opened the cover. Goosebumps ran throughout my arms and back the moment I saw what it was.

"Wow! A strawberry cake? And it looks really good!" Wait, did he know I have a weakness for strawberries?

"Yeah, I read in a magazine somewhere that strawberries are your favorite." Well that answered my question. "I hope you like it." He must have baked this himself. Taking another look, there was a strawberry sliced in half sitting on top and the entire cake had frosting all over it. However, it looks like there was a piece of the cake missing but that allowed me to see that he mixed some strawberries in the cake batter. Considering the pastry he made earlier this evening, the cake is probably just as good. I gave Sting a grin when I glanced at him.

"I'm sure I'll love it. Thank you for making this for me but you know you didn't have to right?" When a red tint appeared on his cheeks, my smile didn't go away. Is he embarrassed?

"I know. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow at 05:00 right?" Nodding my head, he waved goodbye as he quickly left the patisserie just as fast as he arrived. I slowly closed the white box as I thought about eating the cake later tonight. With a smile still on my face, I turned back to Gray and Erza to resume our conversation. My smile quickly disappeared when Gray had a serious expression on his face. Unsure of what to do, I stared at Erza for some help but her attention was on my cake. I forgot she had a weakness for pastries. Makes it hard to remember sometimes when she's yelling at you.

"May I clear this table?" When Lisanna appeared, I felt so thankful for the interruption. Staring at Gray, his seriousness quickly changed to a smile, similar to what I first saw when he was in the locker room with us.

"Of course you may." Lisanna began to collect some of the plates and utensils, which gave me some to think. I should apologize for that minor interruption. Wait, why should I even apologize? It's not even my fault that Sting decided to give me a present and interrupt us. As I brought my eyes to see what Gray was doing, when we made contact, I promptly looked away feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry about that Gray. I didn't mean to interrupt our conversation like that."

"It's fine. It wasn't entirely your fault." Even though his response wasn't as elaborate as I expected, I didn't believe it until he shook his head and gave a smirk. When Lisanna finished clearing the table, I hastily stood up from my chair. I had no intention of staying any longer especially since it seemed like this conversation wasn't going anywhere.

"I hope the both of you enjoy the rest of your evening and I look forward to our second patisserie opening up. It was pleasure meeting you Gray." I bowed my head and sped out of the restaurant ignoring Erza's calls to stop me. When I stepped out into the fresh air, I instantly sighed out loud as I was finally done with today.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep_

Groaning, I reached for my cell phone to turn off the alarm. When I finally grabbed it, I swiped the alarm off and steadily stretched out my arms and legs. I sat myself up and into a pretzel as a huge yawn escaped while I looked over my phone for any new notifications. Seeing that it was only 03:02, I began rubbing my eyes with my free hand. I wonder if anyone else has to get up at this time besides emergency workers. At a leisurely pace, I got off the bed, put my slippers on and walked into the bathroom to start my morning ritual.

After turning on the shower to let it heat up, I began flossing my teeth to pass the time. I made sure I got in between every tooth especially since that damn dentist wants to do a cleaning every three months for me. Says I eat too many pastries. As if. I tossed the used floss into the trash and took off my t-shirt and sweatpants. As I entered the shower, I moaned when I felt the hot water run over my body. I didn't know why but I loved the heat especially when it was summer. When everyone else was dying from the heat wave, I felt like I could walk the entire day without breaking a sweat in that kind of weather. Hmm, that reminds me of the time our patisserie being extremely busy when people simply wanted to stay out of the sun. At least it helped get our name out there.

I grabbed my orange toothbrush from the holder and squeezed some whitening toothpaste on the bristles. This is going to suck. Starting to brush my teeth, some pain started to appear from my gums. Damn, guess Erza was right. Using all this whitening stuff is definitely making my gums sensitive. Not in the mood to drag this out, I quickly brushed every tooth and spat out the remnants of it. Turning around to face the shower head, I caught some of the water in my mouth and rinsed out whatever was left. I then squeezed some shampoo on my hand and ran it through my pink hair. I wasn't sure why I had pink hair and no matter who I asked, they wouldn't know why either. Heck, the people at the hospital weren't even able to tell me if my parents had the same kind of hair.

Not that it matters. As a child, Igneel adopted and took care of me all the way up until I was in Fairy Tail High. He was always there for me, giving me advice _especially_ when I didn't ask for it. But then one day, he died due to a sudden stroke. It was just so sudden. And I didn't even see it coming. Hell, I didn't even know he had health issues until I overheard one of the nurses say that Igneel's been visiting them for a couple of months before he passed away. Fucking jerk didn't have the nerve to even tell me. I could have stayed at home and took care of him instead of going to school. At his funeral, Erza had said that Igneel didn't tell me because he wanted me to happy and get through high school. I shook my head as I ran my hands through my hair. I took some mouthwash and began rinsing while waiting for the conditioner to take effect.

Igneel, I hope you're happy. Wherever you are. I took one of the bottles and squeezed some soap out as I began cleaning every inch of myself. Rinsing myself with the water, I made sure that all the soap was gone before turning the water off. After grabbing the towel, I dried myself and went back into my bedroom to get dressed. Isn't today the day Erza said I should dress up? Oh yeah, I'm supposed to visit our second patisserie and make sure everything is up to standard in the kitchen. Why can't she do this kind of thing herself? I mean, I already did it the first time around so she should know what I like and dislike.

Shortly after putting on a pair of black khakis and a dark blue shirt, I made sure to tuck in the shirt since the she-devil would probably be on my ass about it if I didn't. She had a thing about looking professional even though I'm a maitre patissier. I also wore a pair of black sneakers and once everything _looked_ nice, I left the bedroom and entered the kitchen. When I saw the cake Sting made me, I could literally remember tasting it without having a bite. It was that delicious. Before turning off all the lights, I put on a white checkered scarf and a black wind jacket. Making sure I had everything, I left the apartment and locked the door behind me. As I left the building and walked towards the garage, I felt a small breeze hitting against me. Ugh, I despise the cold weather. I can't believe it's already Fall. I paused by the entrance and stared down the empty street, full of dead leaves. It actually didn't make sense to me that some people could still be wearing t-shirts when the weather was this cold. It was at least 10 C! I resumed walking into the garage and when I got to my car, I placed my hand on the knob, unlocking it. Making myself comfortable, I started the vehicle and made my way towards the patisserie.

~04:04~

Looking up at the patisserie, I couldn't believe how early I arrived. How did I get here so fast? Usually, when I leave my apartment, it would take me about an hour to get here. I guess since there was no traffic, I got here in just thirty minutes. Great. Well, I suppose I could just enter by myself and get a head start on my work. Reaching for the keys in my pocket, I took them out and picked out the key for the patisserie.

"You're here pretty early aren't you?" Feeling an adrenaline rush, I quickly glanced over to see a shadowy figure. Who the hell is that? I squinted my eyes to get a better look but it was took dark to see who it was. When the figure began walking towards me, I swallowed some saliva unsure of what to do. "What's wrong? You don't remember me?" When he walked under one of the street lights, I sighed in relief.

"Gray? What are you doing here?" I'm glad to see that it wasn't some weirdo coming after me but why the hell is he here? As he walked closer, he was wearing another dark blue suit but it was different from the one last night. It was more elegant in design and how can you miss that shine on his black shoes? It was practically blinding even without the sun!

"I have a meeting at 05:00 but I guess I flew here too early."

"You _flew_ here?"

"My helicopter dropped me off at one of the nearby helipads downtown." My eyes widened as my jaw slightly dropped. Exactly how much money does this guy have? Hold on, does that mean he flew back home last night and came back just this morning? Isn't that expensive?

"Wait, if a helicopter dropped you off, why are you walking?"

"You ask a lot of questions don't you?" Just as I was about to glare, I momentarily restrained myself. Natsu, don't forget he's Erza's partner. If you do anything dumb, Erza will eat you alive. Ah to hell with it. She's not here anyway.

"Do you have a problem with that?" When he began to chuckle, I scowled in annoyance.

"No, not really. I was merely observing. To answer your question, I drove over here, parked my car at one of the garages, and walked my way to your patisserie. Did you also want to know my life story?" This guy has some nerve.

"I'd rather not. Hearing about your life just might kill me from boredom." Continuing to laugh, he grabbed a phone from his pocket and raised it to his ear.

"Since we're both here a bit early, I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting some breakfast would you?" Staring at the raven, I was hesitant to accept his offer. "I'm at Fairy Tail's Patisserie. Do you mind picking me up? 5 minutes? Good." After shoving his phone back in his pocket, he smirked as he walked closer.

"You know I didn't say yes right?"

"You didn't say no either. And besides, it's not like you want to go inside and start working do you?"

"Actually, I do but thanks for deciding to take me without my consent." I replicated his smirk, hoping that it would annoy him. When he didn't seem fazed, he stared at me in such a way that I immediately felt self-conscious. "What are you looking at?"

"You look nice today. And I love your scarf. It somehow matches with your personality." Blinking my eyes in astonishment, I glanced towards the ground as I dug my hands deeper in my pockets.

"Thanks."

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to." Quickly looking up, a limo turned from the corner and stopped in front of us.

"I thought you called for a taxi, not a limo?" He simply smiled as the driver exited and opened the passenger door for him.

"I suppose I'll see you later."

"I'll come!" Right before he entered the limo, I continued staring at the ground, hoping that I didn't sound desperate.

"Oh? I thought you would prefer to work?"

"I changed my mind." After some silence, I glimpsed over to Gray and found it odd to see him still smiling.

"After you then." Making a gesture for me to enter, I slowly climbed inside making sure to leave some space behind for the raven to sit. Taking in my surroundings, I'm amazed to see so much space and a bar with food and drinks inside!

"You have way too much money that it's definitely a crime."

"You sound displeased." Staring out the window, I smiled when there were still a bunch of stars visible in the night sky. It was actually kind of rare to even see stars especially in the city. "I take it you're not too fond of people with money."

"I just don't understand it sometimes. Why have all this money? All it does is make you stand out."

"Tell me, do you even know who I am?" After adjusting my posture, I turned to shake my head and smile at the raven.

"Nope, not a clue!" Appearing a bit irritated by my answer, he placed his right leg over the other.

"Yep, you're definitely interesting." Confused by his statement, I decided to ignore him until we arrived to wherever it is we're going. "So why are you wearing a scarf anyway? It's not that cold yet."

"Because it is freezing."

"You do realize it's only 13 C, right?"

"Like I said, freezing." Perplexed, he took out a tablet and opened up some apps that had a bunch of numbers and graphs. Oh so he can do work and I can't? That's hardly fair. I looked outside the window as we passed a restaurant that Loke, Lyon and I went to a couple of weeks ago. Guess we're not that far from the patisserie.

"Ever heard of Grimoire Heart?" Glancing back, it was surprising to see his tablet closed and on the seat.

"Yeah, it's a two Michelin star restaurant and from what I've heard, it's always a bit difficult to get a reservation." Pausing, I suspiciously stared at him as he remained motionless in his seat. "Why do you ask?"

"That's where we're heading if you were curious." I held back a chuckle when he had a look of bemusement.

"You may have a lot of money but I'm pretty sure you can't just go into that restaurant and expect a table. And besides, I don't think they're open for breakfast."

"My sister owns it."

"You're kidding." When he shook his head, he was so impassive that it was starting to bother me. At least it didn't seem like he was showing off.

"But you're right about them not being open for breakfast. However, since I'm in town, I have a private table set up this morning. I figure I should take the maitre patissier out with me." Unrelenting, I continued to stare warily of him.

"Wait, if you have a private table set up, why did you stop by the patisserie? Couldn't you have just gone to the restaurant first?"

"Didn't I just say I was going to take the maitre patissier out with me? My, someone has a short-term memory." Brushing off how irritated I am, it was still odd that he was at the patisserie. Did he really just want to take me out? But why? I'm not anyone that significant or at least I don't think I am. It would make more sense if he took Erza out to breakfast.

"We're here." Quickly gazing outside, we were definitely at Grimoire Heart. Even as the door opened near Gray, I was still astounded that we were here. I've always wanted to eat here but I never could find the time. Or the money now that I think about it. "You coming?" When his hand stretched out, I was nervous to take it. "Well?" With that, I gathered as much courage and grabbed his hand as he gently pulled me outside the limo. "You took a while to get out didn't you?" Ignoring his comment, I stared at the brown doors adorned with gold metal. "You're not getting sick are you?" Baffled, I didn't know how to respond but continue staring at the raven. "You're a bit red."

"I am?" I brought a hand to my cheek to see if it was warm but it didn't feel like I was running a fever. Wait a minute, I've never even had a fever my whole life! Why would I get one now?

"Let me see." Before I could do anything, Gray's hand pressed against my forehead. "Yeah, you're fine." When he removed his hand, I couldn't stop myself from staring at the raven. He seems kind of nice even though he has a ton of money. "Hmm, you're turning red again. You're not falling for me, are you?" Avoiding his gaze, I stared down the street in amusement.

"You wish."

"Ah good morning Mr. Fullbuster." Glancing back to the restaurant, at the door stood a tall man with silver-colored hair. Heh, like Lyon's. "We were expecting you per your request. Although," When his eyes fell on me, I stared at Gray for some sort of reaction. "We weren't expecting another person to join you." I knew it! This wasn't planned at all.

"Is that a problem?" When Gray spoke with a venomous tone, I felt bad even though the employee himself wasn't fazed.

"Of course not. Please, right this way." I followed the business man into the restaurant as the door closed behind me. "My apologies but my name is Rustyrose. I'll be your host this morning." After bowing his head, he lead us further into the restaurant. Looking around, everything's so elegant from the carpeting to the tables and ceiling! Heck, there was even a painting up there! "And here we are gentleman." Staring past the host, we stood near a table inside a private room. I took Gray's lead as he sat down in one of the leather chairs. Wow, it's so comfortable! The host began to pour us glasses of water when something was a bit off. Where's the menu? "What shall we prepare for your friend?"

"A croissant french toast with fresh strawberry syrup." It was surprising not to hear Gray speak so harshly as he did a couple of seconds ago but it's a good change.

"Certainly. And the usual for you sir?"

"Of course."

"Both dishes will be out as soon as they are ready. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need anything else." As soon as he walked away, I began taking off my jacket as I hung it behind my chair. However, I did make sure to leave the scarf on. "Sir, did you want to check in that coat?" Surprised, I turned around to see him standing by the chair.

"You can take mine as well." Glancing back, Gray somehow already had his jacket off and when the host appeared next to him, my jaw dropped when he had my jacket. What the hell? How does he move so fast? "So Natsu, shall I be paying for you this morning?" Taken aback, I quickly shook my head.

"Of course not! I have money of my own thank you very much!"

"Is that so?" He asked as he placed both elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands.

"Don't think you're so rich that somehow, other people can't afford to eat out." When he smiled, I shook my head even though I could feel a smile creeping up on me. "Anyway, you never really answered why you came to the patisserie first. And by the look of things, you didn't plan to take me with you this morning." Thinking I had him on the fence, I had the biggest grin even though he appeared so calm and collected.

"I find you interesting. And I want to get to know you more."

"Is that a fact?" This guy is playing some type of game. I know it.

"Oh? Then it's no surprise I've heard Lyon call you a flame brain." I narrowed my eyes as his smile didn't recede.

"I don't think I've heard Lyon ever call me that. Perhaps there's something you would like to share?"

"Something I would like to share? Hmm, I do find you cute." I blankly stared at the raven sitting across from me. Did I just hear him correctly?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Glancing between the host and two waiters, they began placing food on our table. Exactly how much food did Gray order? Looking over to the entrepreneur, he had a wide grin while I was in the midst of trying to figure out what was happening.

"To start, we have a stack of mini pancakes with chocolate chips served with maple syrup as well as a glass of black tea as a complement. Enjoy." Even as they walked out, I stared at the raven, waiting for an explanation.

"What? Haven't you been to a _nice_ restaurant before?" Narrowing my eyes, he softly laughed as he took a sip of his tea. "I'm just teasing. Think of it as an appetizer before your main course." Gingerly, I grabbed the knife and began cutting the pancake. Stabbing it with a fork, I ate a small piece.

"It's good. _Really_ good especially since they're just pancakes." Looking up to see Gray dig into his pancakes, I took a sip of the black tea. "Wow. The pairing is perfect! No wonder they have two Michelin stars." He merely chuckled as we both finished up the 'appetizer'. After all, they were _mini_ pancakes. On cue, the waiters strode back in and collected the dishes and utensils. They quickly placed clean utensils on the table as the host gently did the same with our food.

"Here we have your croissant french toast with fresh strawberries. We've included more strawberry syrup on the side." Barely containing myself, I licked my lips in anticipation. On my plate are four croissants, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and a good balance of fresh strawberries on the plate. It looks so delicious! "And for you sir, blueberry sweet rolls with a decadent lemon glaze. I shall return to refill your water but if you need anything else, please let me know." Peering over to Gray's plate, his food looked very appealing as well. Clearing my throat, I looked down at my food as I held my hands.

"Thanks for ordering this for me. I really like it."

"You're welcome. If you like, we can do this again." Steadily, I looked up to see him smiling as I did the same. Grabbing the clean knife, I cut the croissants into smaller pieces so I would be able to eat them without having to pause before each bite.

"If I had food like this every day, I'd be so happy." Chuckling, I took a bite of a croissant, making sure to include two pieces of strawberries.

"Who knows? Maybe you will." Glancing back up, he took a bite out of his sweet roll and then swallowed some water.

"Anyway, how are your sweet rolls? I'm not a big fan of lemon so I probably wouldn't like it." After wiping his lips, he began staring at me. Um, did I say something I shouldn't have?

"It's good." Guess not. "I probably shouldn't have ordered it since I have it often. It doesn't taste as good compared to the first time I had it.

"So why order it?" Pausing, I swallowed some water to wash out some of the powdered sugar from my teeth.

"I haven't had anything else here."

"Do you come here often?" He nodded as he took another bite of his roll. Incredulously, I gazed at the raven as I sat my knife on the plate. "This is seriously the only thing you've had out of all the times you've been here?"

"I don't usually change it up when I find something I like."

"That sounds kind of boring." Taking another bite of my croissant, Gray gazed at me as he did the same with his sweet roll.

"Does it? Well, it sounds like a certain someone I've recently become acquainted with." Raising my eyebrow, I waited patiently for him to resume. "For instance, you like to eat a lot of strawberries. Even as a fruit, cake, or something else, you love it. Am I correct?" I scowled at him when he had a smug look on his face.

"It's still different. For example, you could eat tomatoes on a sandwich but it wouldn't be the same as having marinara sauce on your pasta right? You should try different things from time to time. Who knows? You might find something else you might like."

"Even fall in love with?" Bewildered, I nodded my head.

"I guess if you want to put it that way." Finishing my croissants, I pushed the plate a bit further away to create some space.

"I didn't expect to hear you give me advice this morning. It's a nice surprise. Especially if it's from someone who gets called a flame brain by his peers." After taking a sip of my water, I grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

"You can always ask me for advice when it comes to pastries!"

"Even though it wasn't technically about pastries." We both began laughing and honestly, it feels nice being out with Gray. Even though he's sexy as hell, he's not an asshole like you would expect from someone who's rich.

"Gentleman, how was everything?"

"Delicious as always." When Gray blurted out an answer, I gazed at his plate to see that he only ate a couple of pieces. I guess he really did get tired of it. That's kind of disappointing.

"Good to hear. Ms. Milkovich has already picked up the tab so you needn't worry about paying. I'll return with your coats in just a moment." As he left, the waiters came back in and quickly cleared the table. They even used a scraper to clean off any crumbs off the table.

"Who's Ms. Milkovich?"

"She's my sister. The one I mentioned earlier who owns this restaurant."

"I'm sure she's proud having such an establishment. I know I would be."

"Aren't you proud of your patisserie?" Gazing at the raven, he smiled as wiped his mouth clean with a napkin. "If anything, I think your patisserie ranks a bit higher than this restaurant. Just without all the decor and service. Your pastries are your biggest win." Smiling at his compliment, I nodded my head in agreement.

"By the way, thanks for the meal even though I said I would pay for myself." He grinned as the host returned with our jackets in hand. Surprised, Gray suddenly stood up but when the host assisted him with wearing the jacket, I understood why he didn't just take it. Following suit, I slowly stood from my chair, turned my back to the host, and stretched my arms backwards allowing him to put my jacket on.

"Thank you both for visiting Grimoire Heart and we look forward to serving you again in the near future." He bowed his head as I did the same.

"Thanks for the food! It was great!" When the host looked shocked, I peered over to Gray to see him shrugging his shoulders.

"Your compliment means a lot to us! I mean, you _are_ Natsu Dragneel right? The famous pastry chef in Magnolia? I must confess, I didn't recognize you when I first saw you but when I heard your name, I knew who you were! It's an honor having you with us!"

"Thanks I guess?" Amazed, Gray merely smiled and chuckled at the situation.

"Let's head back. Being late wouldn't look good now would it?." Nodding my head in agreement, we made our way back to the entrance. The host slowly opened up the door for us and gave us a smile as we exited the premises.

"Jeez, it's still cold!"

"15 C is not that cold." Ignoring his comment, I shivered in my jacket as the driver of the limo got out and opened the door for us. "After you my cold friend."

"Very funny." Climbing into the limo, I made sure to leave enough space for the raven as I did last time. Realizing that it was still cold inside the limo even when the door shut, I continued to shiver in my jacket. Damn, was the heater even on while we were inside the restaurant?

"Here, I'll turn on the heat." Staring at the raven, he grabbed a mini remote control and pushed some buttons. When I felt hot air come out from the vents above us, I sighed in relaxation.

"This feels so much better. Thanks." When he made a grunting noise, I took that as a sign of acknowledgement. As the limo began moving, I peered out the window to see that the streets were now a bit busier with trucks doing deliveries. Although, this is nothing compared to if you try to drive in the city around 08:00. Everything is basically a standstill with everyone trying to get to work. When I heard some shuffling, I glanced back to see Gray taking off his jacket and wiping his forehead.

"Um, you can turn off the heat if you're too hot." Great, now I feel bad. He shook his head but I wasn't going to have any of it. I moved myself closer to him and reached over to grab the remote control. Trying to understand some of the buttons, I began pushing the down button in hopes it would make the air cooler. Feeling cold air come through, I was thankful that I didn't potentially look stupid. I looked at Gray again to see a look of astonishment. "Listen, if you're hot, just say something. I'm not going to let you be uncomfortable just because I think it's too cold."

"Well thank you Natsu. I appreciate it." Suddenly, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gently laid his head on my own.

"Um, what are you doing?" With no response, I looked up to see him grinning as I quickly turned away. Why the heck is he smiling? Whatever. I won't bother trying to move away. And besides, it feels sort of nice. I wonder if he's interested in me. No, that's impossible. No way does a guy with this much money be into other guys. And even if he was, there's no way he'd be into me. 'Now don't do trying to impress our VIP. I did say he was sexy but I'm pretty sure he has a thing for the ladies especially with the way he keeps flirting with Lucy.' Jeez, thanks for the reminder Lisanna.

"So what do you do in your spare time? Seeing anyone?" Startled, I quickly looked out the window to avoid his gaze as it felt like I was burning up in my jacket.

"What kind of question is that?" When it was quiet, I glanced back to see a baffled expression. "I'm pretty sure that's not the type of question you ask when you first meet someone."

"Asking what you do in your spare time isn't a legitimate question?" Rolling my eyes, it was difficult believing that he was pretending not to know what I was talking about.

"Never mind then." Even as we sat in silence, I didn't try moving myself from his personal space. It was just too comfortable being in his arms.

"Looks like we're already here." Well, that was fast. Staring out the window, it was shocking to see that the patisserie was just outside. Opening the door, Gray got out and held out a hand for me to take. This time, I didn't hesitate to take it as he helped me out the limo. Noticing that some of the lights were on inside, that meant one of two things. Either Erza or Lyon was inside and I'm hoping it's the latter.

"Natsu!" The Pastry God must hate me today. With the front door opening, Erza stood in formal attire with a black look on her face. "Why are you late!?" The moment her eyes made contact with Gray's, I began snickering when her eyes widened as she adjusted herself.

"Gray? I didn't expect you here so soon!" Quickly, I walked past Gray and into the patisserie.

"I'm heading in Erza. Let me know if you need anything." Nodding her head, I slowly looked back to see Gray staring at me even though Erza was speaking. I smiled and waved at him goodbye as I made myself ready to start my day.

~10:08~

In boiling condensed milk, a mixture of ingredients including brown sugar, butter, scotch, water, crème fraîche and corn syrup began to thicken. Removing the glaze from the open flame, I stirred in some salt, vanilla extract, and baking powder. "Um, Natsu? What are you doing?" After pouring the glaze over the hot, golden-brown muffins, I sprinkled some coarse, freshly toasted pecans. "You wouldn't happen to know what he's doing would you?"

"Nope but if I were to guess, he's definitely making that for a certain someone." Looking over, Loke wore a devious grin as he pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "What? Did I say something to catch your interest?"

"Instead of trying to piss him off, why don't you try to finish the cream we need for the cannoli?" Switching his attention to Sting, he immediately had a pout on his face.

"Just because he's Natsu's apprentice, he thinks he gets to talk down to us. Don't you think that's a bit mean Lyon?" Glancing over to the white-haired sous chef, he stopped filling a cannoli with sweet, creamy filling.

"Please don't try to involve me with your antics. I don't have the time for them since I have to finish by a certain time."

"As do I." Returning to my pastry, the buns had soaked up some of the glaze but it was still warm enough to serve. "I need to finish this before Gray leaves."

"Oh? What did you just say?" Oh shit. Did he hear me? "Is that for Gray? Ah, I'm so jealous! Lyon, he's making something sweet for your brother!" Quickly glancing over to my sous chef, he merely shook his head as he placed the cream back in the cooler.

"What are you talking about now?"

"He's making a pastry full of sweet, innocent love for Gray. Isn't it touching?"

"A what pastry?" Even though the snow-haired chef looked confused, I scowled as I took some of the buns and placed them on a white plate.

"Loke, did you hear?" With a smile, I turned around with the buns in hand. "Gray was flirting with Lucy this morning." When he had a serious expression on his face, I chuckled as I made my way to the door.

"Did you really make that for Gray?" Peering over to Sting, he didn't bother to look at me as he iced the eclairs with fondant icing. Puzzled, I shrugged him off as I pushed the door open with my foot.

"I'll be in the dining room if anyone needs me." Without waiting for a response, I made my way into the dining room to see Erza and Gray at a table by the window. Surprisingly, they both seemed irritated with something.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Peering over to Lisanna, she and Lucy paused in setting up one of the tables.

"Oh nothing. Just bringing a pastry over to them."

"A pastry? I don't remember either of them ordering." Looking away, I smiled as I tried to come up with an excuse.

"It was before you came in. They said they wanted something around this time."

"You're lying." Shocked, I stared at Lucy as she crossed her arms.

"What are you talking about?"

"When you lie, you have this weird tendency to look away when you're talking to other people." Widening my eyes, Lucy smirked as she raised a finger. "Now why do you have that pastry?" Am I really that obvious? Damn, I need to bring this before it gets cold.

"Uh, hey look! There's some dirt on that table over there!" When they both turned around, I quickly walked away as I somehow found myself at Gray's table already.

"Natsu? What are you doing out here? Did you already finish your work for the day?" Shaking my head at Erza, I smiled as I presented the pastry.

"You can say that." Placing the plate in front of Gray, his eyes fell on the pastry as he put some of his paperwork down. "These are butterscotch sticky buns. I noticed you didn't really eat anything this morning so I made these. You know, if you were hungry. Or tired. Or something." When he picked up a bun, I stared anxiously as he took that first bite. Please, please like it! I swear, I'm going to kill myself if he spits it out.

"Wow, it tastes _really_ good. Did you make these for me?" At a loss for words, I nodded my head when I dared to look at him. When I saw that smile, I immediately looked away and scratched my temple. Sheesh, why can't I look at him? "Thanks for making these. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Besides, we wouldn't want you to starve before our second patisserie opens. I'll be heading back so just let me know if you need anything else."

"We'll be sure to call you, right Erza?" Shaken out of her 'pastry daze', she shook her head while inconspicuously wiping some saliva away.

"Of course. I just hope you have some more of those buns back there." Rolling my eyes, I chuckled as I turned around.

"Don't worry, we always have a couple left in reserves for you. See you later." Feeling victorious, I began walking back to the door.

"Ah, now I see what it is." Right before entering the kitchen, I glanced over to the maids who were both grinning like idiots. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this. Even when we were back in Fairy Tail High. It's so cute to see you in love."

"In love? As if."

"I knew I shouldn't have told him that Gray was his type." Slowly narrowing my eyes at Lisanna, she merely giggled as she twirled around. "It's so cute to see the mean maitre patissier turn to mush in front of a guy he likes."

"Right? And he even made a custom pastry for him. Ah, I wonder what deliciousness he got to taste. I've never even had the rose macaron, have you?" Lisanna shook her head as she pouted in my direction.

"No but I guess to get it, we would need a guy with sexy black hair, abs, muscles and have a cool personality."

"Enough you two. I don't know why you think I'm in love but I'm not. I was just being nice so leave it alone." Annoyed, I quickly pushed the door open and returned to my workstation.

~11:42~

"So, do you like Gray?"

"Loke! Can you please stop talking about my brother like that?" After placing the tray of tiramisu into the cooler, I stared angrily at the idiot.

"I just want to know. It's so rare to see Natsu show any other emotion besides being annoyed, irritated, mad, etc."

"That's true but Gray doesn't really swing that way. I mean, he does have his flings from time to time but they're always with women. Not being mean or anything but I don't think he would like our maitre patissier like that." What? Is that true? But he took care of me this morning like turning on the heat when I was cold. "Heck, he even has this crazy girl chasing after him. What was her name? Juvia? And even without her, he basically has this harem that works directly under him."

"Appearances are deceiving my friend. Besides," Loke pushed up his glasses as he smirked at the sous chef. "Haven't you seen married men getting divorced because they were actually into other men?"

"Even so. My brother isn't like that." Feeling dejected, I leisurely walked back to my station as I stared at the empty board. Did I really go through all that effort for nothing? No, I didn't. I even told Lucy and Lisanna that I wasn't even in love.

"All done!" Pulling me away from my thoughts, I gazed over to Sting as he strode over with a pastry. "What do you think? Do you like it? It looks awesome right?" Looking down, it looked like another strawberry cake but it was different from the one last night. "I call it the Strawberry Summer Cake!"

"You do realize it's Fall right?"

"So what?" Gazing up, Loke and Sting began to approach one another with a determined look on their faces.

"That means no one is going to buy it and it'll just sit on the shelves."

"Oh? If I recall, you're just a simple pastry chef while I'm the apprentice of the greatest Pastry Chef in Magnolia." As they both butt heads with each other, I chuckled as their mini-quarrel actually made me feel a bit better. "Aww, you look like you need a hug. Here." Widening my eyes by his embrace, I could feel my protegé's arms wrap around my waist as he pulled me closer.

"Hey guys, we're going out," Oh shit, is that Gray? "For lunch. What's going on here?" Yep, this day officially sucks.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: **Thank you to everyone who reviewed Chapter 4! You guys/gals honestly make me happy to continue writing this story and it's nice to read what everyone thinks of it so far! If there is an artist somewhere among my readers, I have a favor to ask; would it be possible to draw an awesome Gratsu picture with a pastry theme? I think it would go along well with the cover picture. Let me know if you're interested! And now, on to the story!

**Title:** Pastry King

**Rating: **T

**Pairings****: **Gray x Natsu

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and its characters do not belong to me.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**grayxnatsuFT:** Haha don't worry! I'll always love my Gratsu but I can handle some Stingna on the side. Although, Gray needs to start showing some love real soon. I'm getting real impatient even though I'm the one writing the story! Enjoy the fifth chapter!

**darkhuntressxir:** You can always go out and buy a sticky bun to satisfy that craving of yours! Sting does seem to be sweet towards Natsu but Gray has some sort of an affect on our pink-haired friend. I wonder who will win his heart. Read and find out! Enjoy!

**Akira Phantomthief:** Whoa, we have a hardcore Sting x Natsu fan over here. I'm afraid I might not satisfy your craving for the pairing. Or maybe I can. Haha I'm such a tease. Have fun reading the fifth chapter of Pastry King!

**Dark Sorcerer of Fire**: You know, I should make you Review King/Queen. Thanks for sparing some of your time to write an excellent review. Your opinion about Gray makes a lot of sense. However, I felt like he was too mysterious to the point most readers wanted Sting x Natsu because they couldn't emotionally connect with Gray. Hence, the hug; I wanted to portray at least one sweet thing our raven can do for Natsu early in the story. Having said that, it will most likely be a one-time thing and he'll probably remain mysterious or be extremely seductive later on. As always, I look forward to your next review and don't be scared to ramble! I love it! Enjoy the chapter!

**JChrista:** That's no problem at all; I appreciate you taking the time to review! Just don't be lazy for this chapter! And I will do my best to make the story fun for you to read with bits and pieces of love. Enjoy!

**Mgluvsbl25:** Hmm, I've never thought about Sting and Lyon together; I usually ship Lyon with Gray sometimes. And who knows, I may just do that plot line to get Gray into action! Hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think of it!

**nori of the sea:** Aww, thanks! And no, it's not weird at all! If I wasn't making you hungry, then I'm not doing my job as a writer! And now, what you have been waiting for all week, the fifth chapter! Have fun reading it!

**nazurath92:** Then go get some sweets! But don't eat too much; you're going to feel pretty full! Enjoy the fifth chapter!

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**Natsu's POV**

~14:52~

When I felt a sharp pain course through my forehead, I immediately regretted banging my head on the locker. I stared at it for a couple seconds when I suddenly became extremely interested in its tan color but it wasn't enough to distract me from a certain blondie. Stupid Sting. Why did he kiss me? I didn't even have the opportunity to ask him when we were overwhelmed with patrons who wanted to try us out after hearing about our expansion in the local paper. I tried to logically think about it but gave up when my head started to hurt. It probably wouldn't make sense to me anyway. I gave a loud sigh when I heard a pair of footsteps walk into the locker room.

"Are you okay?" I removed my head from the locker and ran a hand through my hair and over the back of my neck before sighing again.

"Yeah, why?" That was a stupid question; I already knew why he was asking. When I didn't hear a response, I glanced over to Sting and saw that he looked a bit worried. He face was very stern and it looked like he was truly concerned about my well-being. But why? He may be my protege but that didn't mean he had to care about me that much. Don't we have a professional relationship like an employee and their boss?

"I'm sorry about earlier today but I-I…" He tore his gaze away as he turned around to face his locker. "I'm sorry if it offended you." With haste, I closed my locker and made my way over to the blondie. When I stood by my protege, it dawned on me that he was a bit taller. He also had slanted dark blue eyes and for some reason, he had a scar above his right eye. I wonder where he got it. He also had a metal pendant, which acted like an earring in his left ear.

"It's fine; I was just surprised you know." I didn't want him to feel like he did something wrong so I did my best to make him feel like everything was still good. When he placed his chef hat inside the locker, he paused to look at me but my mouth didn't stop moving. "Do you normally kiss all your supervisors?" He gave a small laugh, which caused me to raise my left eyebrow. What was so funny?

"Don't you like other guys?" I had to blink my eyes a couple times at how straightforward this guy was.

"And how exactly would you know that?"

"Don't think I'm a stalker or anything but ever since I saw you show up on 'so delicious..' magazine, I wanted to meet you. You looked so cute with that pink hair of yours and the pasties you made looked so amazing. I couldn't forget you especially since you kept showing up in the magazine over and over; more so when you made your official debut with your rose macaron. And I knew that you weren't into girls after the kiss I gave earlier. You didn't seem disgusted by it." He gave a smile before taking off his shirt when I noticed that he had a slim, yet muscular toned body. It actually didn't look half bad. He replaced it with a dark blue shirt and began to mess up his blond spiky hair. That's when it hit me.

"Wait, you didn't know if I was into other guys until you kissed me?" Before he could respond, the door opened up revealing Lyon who was dressed up for the afternoon event. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a black jacket over it and some blue jeans.

"Natsu, we're going to be…" Lyon momentarily stopped as he looked between us to get a sense of the atmosphere. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" I looked back to Sting but he seemed to be ignoring the sous chef, which made me return to my locker and lock it up.

"Nope, not at all. I was just on my way out." He stared at me for quite a bit before nodding his head. I gave one last look to Sting as his chef pants were already replaced with a pair of white khakis. Those clothes look really good on him. I waited a bit to see if he would say anything else but after a minute or two, I gave up as I made my way through the kitchen and into the front of the house. Gray and Lyon were over by the front door while Lucy and Lisanna were pretty much done cleaning the dining room.

"Are you ready?" I almost jumped out of my pants when I felt a warm breath on my ear as I turned around to see Erza. She was wearing a dark red dress, which was considerably different from what she had on this morning. I have to admit, she definitely knew what to wear to make an impression.

"Yeah but please don't scare me like that!" I said as I could feel my heart beating faster than it should.

"Let's be on our way then." She said with a smile as she went on ahead of me to join the two brothers. Gray was wearing a white dress shirt, which was similar to Lyon's but he had a blue jacket over it that extended to his knees. He also had a black tie on and a pair of white khakis, which reminded me of Sting's. The entrepreneur looked so elegant in his clothes that I was pretty sure I saw a sparkle or two appear near his face.

"Hey Natsu." I looked over my right shoulder to see the blondie coming out from the kitchen. I turned around so I could get a better look but he stopped walking when he was a couple of feet away from me. "This might be a bit sudden but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me sometime. You know, when you're not busy with the patisserie and such."

"Um, well…"

"Hey we're about to leave. Are you still joining us?" When I looked back to the front, Gray was standing next to me as my eyes followed his left arm all the way to his hand that was now sitting on my shoulder. I felt myself tense up by his touch but I didn't understand why.

"I don't think I have much of a choice now do I?" I said with a grin.

"You make it sound like you don't want to see the new patisserie." A small grin also appeared on his face when his hand fell from my shoulder.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I'll be heading out now." I glanced back to Sting as he made full eye contact with me. "Let me know if you're ever interested in taking me up on my offer. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow bright and early! See you!" My protege quickly made his exit but not before saying his good byes to Erza and Lyon. Was it just me or did he just leave in a hurry?

"Looks like he was in a rush." I subconsciously nodded my head in agreement when Gray grabbed my hand and began to pull me with him. "Come on, it's time for us to leave too." When he brought me over to the others, I tried to stealthily pull my hand away but his grip was really strong. "Our ride will be here in just a moment. In the meantime, Erza, we haven't talked about who would be working at the new location. Did you give it any thought?" My mind started to wander away from their conversation as my eyes fell on the sous chef. I followed his eyes as it fell on our hands that were sort of intertwined with one another and when he gave me a confused look, I felt a bit warmer as I simply shrugged my shoulders and looked away.

"What do you think about that?" When I felt Erza's gaze on me, I realized that was when she was asking me something.

"Umm, what was the question?" I nervously chuckled when I saw her death glare pass on her face in under a second.

"Wait, the car is here. We can continue the conversation in a moment." Oh thank god. I felt like she was about to kill me. Surprisingly, Gray had let go of my hand before opening up the front door and leading the three of us out of the restaurant. I looked back at the patisserie as I was a bit worried leaving Loki with the two maids. Sure, he wasn't the kind of guy to sexually harass girls but he was definitely a good distraction.

"Don't worry about them. I made sure that they'll finish up by 15:30." I stared at Erza for a bit as it was kind of weird how she knew what I was thinking. When she entered the limo, I followed suit and sat beside her leaving Gray and Lyon together on their own side. As we began to move, Erza's cell phone suddenly went off, which made her scramble her purse to find it.

"Hello? Oh hey Jellal." I instinctively rolled my eyes at the caller. "No I won't be busy tonight. Sure at 20:00? All right, I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Was that your boyfriend again?" I asked as she put her phone back in her purse.

"He's not my boyfriend but yes, that was Jellal. Don't worry, he's not like the rest of them." She ruffled my hair for the second time today, which caused me to cross my arms and look towards our driver.

"Mind if I ask what's going on?" I didn't really stare at anything in particular but the food over by the bar was making me a bit hungry. Wait, is that a pack of strawberry pocky?

"Oh it's nothing Lyon; he's being overprotective again but I don't mind. He may not seem like it but he really cares about other people." A small smile began to creep up on my face by her semi-compliment. "Isn't that right Natsu?" She elbowed me but I chose to ignore her as I didn't want to goad her into poking fun at me any further.

"You know," Lyon began before clearing his throat. "Something interesting actually happened this morning in the kitchen." I instantly threw a dagger in the form of a glare at my sous chef. He wouldn't dare talk about the kiss would he?

"What do you mean?" asked Gray as his full attention was now on the conversation.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it!" I tried to change the topic but just like how the day has been going, it was just out of my control.

"Explain Lyon." Gray looked a bit irritated when he crossed his own arms and began tapping on one of them with his index finger.

"Now I'm not sure if I should be sharing this but," My glare didn't recede in strength when the snowman glanced over to me. Unfortunately, it didn't have any effect when he continued. "This morning, his new protege gave him a kiss." Both the scarlet and raven looked surprised while I simply wanted to kill the slant-eyed man.

"Listen, before any of you start getting weird thoughts, no, I'm not in a relationship with him." I was really hoping that would silence any concerns or doubts but when I saw Erza's mouth start to open, I should have known it would just be downhill from here.

"Why did he kiss you?"

"I don't know and I didn't get the chance to really ask him. Can we please not talk about it?" The three of them stared at me for a bit before the raven spoke up.

"Do you like him?" I looked down at the leather seat and actually took some time to ponder his question.

"Well, he's a nice guy but I don't have any feelings for him like that at the moment."

"At the moment?" When Gray repeated my words, I instantly regretted saying them when he looked more irritated compared to last night when Sting interrupted our conversation. Geez, why does he look so mad? I glanced over to Erza and she was still being quiet, which was unusual for her. She usually likes to throw her input on just about everything.

"I'm curious, do you like anyone at the moment?" I really wanted to strangle Lyon's pale neck but I resisted the urge considering I was with other people and he was at least a decent pastry chef.

"I don't know how we got on this topic but I thought this trip was for our second patisserie; not to learn about my love life."

"He's right. We shouldn't pry any further than we already have unless he wants to share that information willingly." When I heard those words leave Erza's mouth, I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. "However," She paused to look back to me and when she had an innocent smile on her face, I knew something was up. "If I find out some guy hurts you, I'll kill them." Yep, I wasn't dreaming.

"Sorry Natsu, I didn't mean to pry into your business like that. I was just interested ever since I found out that you were… you know. It made me realize that I didn't really know who you were as a person and it kind of bothered me." When I saw that he meant well, I felt bad for wishing to strangle his neck.

"It's okay but next time, ask those kinds of questions in private." The snowman nodded his head and I felt a bit better with how the conversation turned out. However, Gray still seemed to be seething quietly when his eyebrows seem to be touching one another.

"You okay over there?" Both Erza and Lyon turned their attention to the entrepreneur and when he realized he was the one I directed the question towards, he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, you just seem to be mad at something is all." Gray returned his gaze outside the window, which caused Lyon to laugh.

"All this talk probably reminded him of Juvia. She's one of his fangirls that constantly bother him about going out on a date and such."

"I didn't know you were popular with the ladies." I said jokingly. However, he seemed to be unfazed by my comment when I brought my attention outside the window. "Hey, that looks like our new patisserie!" When I looked back at the others, everyone else was staring at our second patisserie except for Gray. When I saw the look in his eyes, it made me swallow some saliva. The atmosphere between us had definitely changed to something filled with desire. I couldn't even look away from him and when he licked his lips and gave a seductive smile, my face immediately felt hot. Compared to me, he just seemed to be cool and in control. I finally managed to look away but I could still feel his eyes on me. Why is he looking at me like that? Wait, it couldn't be… is he interested in me?

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**Author Note**: Sorry for the delay in putting this chapter up this weekend. It was actually much harder writing this chapter compared to the others. Also, as a heads up, I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out (maybe 2-3 weeks) because I'll be a bit busy at work. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't let me know how the story is going through a review! I look forward to reading all of your awesome thoughts! Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: **Well guys, we're now at the sixth chapter of Pastry King! Right before I uploaded this chapter, I've gone through Chapters 4 and 5 for any grammatical errors and run-on sentences so whenever you're bored or would like to do a second read, the story will be close to be perfect! Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!

**Title:** Pastry King

**Rating: **M (use of alcohol in this chapter)

**Pairings****: **Gray x Natsu

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and its characters do not belong to me.

**Responses to Reviews:**

As always, I enjoy reading every single one of your reviews! While I do prefer them to be long, I appreciate each of you taking time out to share your thoughts. I look forward to your next review at the end of this chapter!

**Akira Phantomthief:** I have no intention of being cruel or do I? Haha well, I hope you enjoy Chapter 6!

**nori of the sea:** I hope the suspense hasn't killed you too much! And yes, I do wonder what will happen between Natsu and Gray in this chapter. Read and find out!

**0.o Natsu o.0:** I'm glad that you're enjoying the story thus far and I'll do my best to make the chapter longer but I have been busy as of late. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**AsDarknessSpreads:** If I didn't know any better, I would think you're falling for Gray's smile instead of Natsu. Just kidding! Enjoy the sixth chapter!

**darkhuntressxir:** My, you're still on the sticky bun huh? I wonder if I can describe another pastry in this chapter for you to be addicted. Or maybe not. Who knows? Have fun reading this chapter!

**Mgluvsbl25:** Haha yes, it's fun seeing Gray jealous but I wonder what would happen if Gray and Sting were to fight it out for Natsu. Not that I'm saying it'll happen but it's interesting to think about it. Have fun reading this chapter!

**JChrista:** I love your reaction to Gray's seductiveness. It's very interesting! However, I'm sure we can turn it up a notch don't you think? Anyway, I would love for you to draw a cover picture for the story! It would be awesome and you can decide how you want to do it! Maybe you can use the scene where Gray was holding Natsu's hand as a starting point. Have fun reading!

**Dark Sorcerer of Fire:** Oh my apologies Review Que*coughs* KING! The criticism is gladly accepted and it's true, I could have thrown Sting in a little later but I guess that's just how the story started off. Trust me, if I could plan a whole story out before typing it up, I would be doing yaoi manga or something! Anyway, I hope this chapter will get rid of that "thing" that's bothering you… And you're too funny. If I had to sleep with one of them, it would have to be Natsu cause I don't know, I feel like he would be rough haha! And don't kill Sting just yet; we need him for plot progression! Have fun reading and I look forward to your next review!

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**Natsu's POV**

~20:52~

As soon as my drink was made, I quickly grabbed hold of it and swallowed its contents in one go. I let out a satisfied sigh and sat it down, anxious for a second drink. "Are you trying to get wasted tonight?" When I brought my face up, the bartender merely gave an amused look in return.

"It's none of your business. Just give me another drink." I stared him down until he breathed out a sigh and nodded his head.

"I hope you know that I can actually refuse you drinks if I deem you unable to drive home right?"

"I'm not in the mood Zeref." He scratched his head as he started to make a long island iced tea for another customer. As soon as he delivered it to the gentleman who ordered it, it was obvious that the customer was trying to flirt with him. I merely rolled my eyes at the sight even though I understood why some guys would try to hit on him. Zeref had short black hair, dark eyes, and even though he had abnormally sharp canines, some men actually found it to be attractive. Plus the fact that he's at least in his late 20s or early 30s and he still looks like a teenager! As soon as he passed by in front of me, I noticed that he began to make a drink for me.

"So what's got you feeling like this tonight?" I really didn't feel like sharing my experience or thoughts at the moment and I wasn't particularly at the bar to chit chat. "Answer my question or I'm not giving you this succulent blueberry pomegranate cocktail you always like." God, I feel like everyone is trying to mess with me today. Although I didn't answer his question, he still placed the drink in front of me and as soon as I took a sip, his eyes didn't waver when I gave him the look of death. "You know that doesn't work on me. I know you too well especially after the nights you come here on your worse days. So just tell me what happened. Is it about another guy?"

"No."

"Okay, so we know it's about a guy. Good start but give me a second, let me just make these drinks and I'll be back." Zeref ran off to the printer that was basically spitting out orders as he proceeded to make them as quickly as possible. I took another sip out of my cocktail and ate one of the blueberries that was floating in the drink when I looked around the bar/restaurant. Good; it doesn't look like anyone I know is here and hopefully, it'll stay that way. I thought about the reason as to why I come here often and how depressing it was that one of the most popular restaurants in town had to make some of my favorite drinks, which meant that I sometimes ran into people I knew like Lucy or Loki. When my mind instantly returned to the today's events, a fake smile made its way onto my face as I took another sip.

"Another fan-fucking-tastic day." Before I knew it, I finished my second drink so I pushed it a bit further away from me hoping Zeref would notice and make another one. While I waited, it didn't take long for me to relive the past. When we arrived at the second patisserie, it was basically a duplicate of our first one but more elegant in its design. The kitchen also had more expensive ovens and tools that we could use, which would help accelerate the process of making pastries. I didn't mind, of course, as long as it didn't interfere with the taste of each pastry. Erza and Gray also touched on the subject of who would be working there and without my consent, they thought it would be a good idea for me to work there and have Lyon take charge of Fairy Tail's first patisserie. And then we're supposed to have week-long interviews and that I have to be the one to interview all of the kitchen staff. So annoying.

"Third drink?" Zeref's voice snapped me out of my thoughts when I nodded my head. "You look like you're deep in thought. Mind sharing?" He began making my drink as I looked away, not wishing to look at his reaction when I started my story.

"It's nothing really. We're just expanding the patisserie to a second location in the heart of Magnolia."

"That sounds like good news. Although, I'm sure you don't care do you?" I gave him a confused look when he placed a skinny margarita in front of me.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're the type of person who doesn't care about the business. Just as long as you're making delicious and innovative pastries, you'll be happy. Am I wrong?" I smiled as I took a sip from my new drink. It tasted really sweet. "There's that smile that's been missing all night. Oops, hold on, I'll be right back." He ran back to the printer when there were basically at least twenty sheets of paper out. I looked around the restaurant again and noticed how busy it was. Oh yeah, it's Friday night isn't it? Suddenly, Gray's smile popped in my head and I immediately felt goosebumps. I took a mouthful of my drink as I felt myself getting a heat flash. "So, tell me about this guy you like." I was a bit surprised to see him return so soon when my drink almost fell out of my hand. "Heh sorry, did I surprise you? Yeah, I got some help so I'm only watching this side now."

"I see. Anyway, it's nothing."

"Nothing huh? Is that why you're trying to drink the night away?"

"Tch I wish I could do that but unlike some people, I have to get up at 03:00 for work." He gave a small laugh as he began making another drink, which looks like to be a glass of blue moon. As soon as I finished my cocktail, I pushed it away indicating that I wanted another round.

"Did you want a glass of riesling this time?" I nodded my head as he uncorked a bottle of white wine and skillfully poured it into a glass. As soon as he sat it down, I took a sip of it and enjoyed the sweetness of it. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but doesn't that guy look like the one who bothered you last time you were here?" I turned around to get a better look at the entrance to see Loki and Lucy chatting with the hostess.

"Shit." I really didn't want them to know I was here and it looked like Zeref knew what I was thinking when he made a seat on the opposite side of the bar available for me. As soon as I switched seats, I made myself comfortable in the new one and noticed that I wasn't in full view of the entrance anymore.

"Since you're on this side, I'll still be taking care of you. I'll just let my partner know we're switching sides." He said with a wink as he brought my glass of wine with him.

"You can do that?"

"Of course I can! I mean, I do have seniority over him."

"As if that matters." He smiled as he went off to help with other customers while I took in my new surroundings. Behind me were a bunch of tables that were situated next to a huge window, which had a beautiful view of the city. I sighed as I thought about how I had to work tomorrow; it's not like I don't enjoy my work but it's just that I haven't had a Friday night to myself in months. Erza says it's because Saturday is their busiest day and they need my help so the patisserie could run efficiently and effectively. If I didn't know any better, she only needed me so we could make more pastries to sell. She could do that without having me come in by just doing some pre-work before closing Friday so that Saturday's workload would be easier. Oh wait, I was the one who said that wouldn't be a good idea for quality and that's why we don't do it. I slapped my forehead and proceeded to take another sip of my wine.

"Careful, if you keep drinking like that, you're going to pass the stage of feeling tipsy and just be flat out drunk." I gave an annoyed look to the bartender who merely had a smile plastered on him. "So yeah, about that guy you like, who is he?" Thinking he was just going to bother me all night if I didn't answer, the brick wall broke down and my thoughts came out of my mouth one by one.

"Well, the guy is apparently an entrepreneur who invested in our second patisserie. He actually kinda looks like you but way sexier." He gave a pout while he poured another drink into a glass. "And I don't know, he's a bit of a mystery and sometimes, it feels like he's interested in me."

"So you're not interested?" I shook my head.

"No, it's not that. I mean, I heard from one of the girls say that he was flirting with one of the maids at the patisserie and even his own brother said he has some girl chasing after him. Even had some flings here and there." Zeref looked like he had an annoyed look on his face but it immediately went away when he brought a drink to another customer. As soon as he returned, however, the expression came back.

"Really? I'm surprised something like that even stopped you. You usually don't care about that type of thing."

"Is that so?" I asked sarcastically. He nodded his head while I took another sip of my wine.

"Oh boy, tonight is definitely not your night." When I saw his eyes looking at something behind me, I instinctively turned around and my jaw almost dropped.

"Fuck." Erza and Jellal are here too? I immediately turned back around hoping that they didn't notice me. When I heard laughing from the bartender, I immediately had the need to smack him over the head. "It's not funny." I said in a not so friendly manner.

"I'm not laughing about how you're trying to hide. It's just funny how the night is turning out. What a coincidence huh?" I rolled my eyes for the nth time today as I finished up the remnants of my wine. As soon as I placed the glass back down, I felt a slight pounding in my head and my body feeling warmer than before. Shit, _now_ I'm feeling tipsy? After four drinks? "Hey look, there's that guy with the white hair but there's a guy I don't recognize with them." Without thinking, I turned back around and felt my heart stop when I saw that Lyon and Gray had joined their table. I immediately turned back around and desperately tired to hide my face from the world.

"Please just kill me now." Zeref continued to laugh as he began shaking a cocktail mix with a blender cup.

"I feel bad for you. I could just try and move you but you're kind of easy to spot with that pink hair of yours." I shook my head as it felt like tonight just couldn't get any worse. "Want another drink to pass the agony?"

"Fuck you and yes."

"Now Natsu, you know I don't take it like you do." I felt my face start to heat up by his comment when customers who heard him began whispering to each other. Geez, can he be any louder? My annoyance for the bartender went down a bit when he brought me another blueberry pomegranate cocktail. "Oh and by the way, I'll pay for your drinks tonight and I'm not taking no for an answer."

"But…"

"No buts! I'm actually getting off right now so I'll be able to sit with you and chat for a bit. You don't mind do you?" I shook my head as he smiled and began to let other customers know that they're switching to another bartender for the evening. As soon as he disappeared, I thought about how odd it was that they change shifts around 21:30 but according to Zeref, they said it was because they change to the late shift, which lasts until 04:00. I'm surprised it still stays busy up to that time. "I'm back!" I looked out of the corner of my eye to see the bartender take a seat right next to me. "Did you miss me?"

"Sheesh, with the way you flirt, I can't tell if you're doing it on purpose."

"That's up to you to find out."

"I'd rather not." I could feel myself already starting to lose a bit of my motor function as I began leaning on the counter for support. "Before I forget, thanks."

"Oh come on, don't get all sappy on me just because I paid for your drinks." I shook my head.

"I didn't mean for the drinks. It's for all the times you listen to me every time I come here even though you don't have to do it. It's nice having someone listen you know?" When I looked him in the eye, I was surprised to see a faint blush on his face as he looked away.

"Ye-Yeah, it's no problem." He brought his face back up and his usual smile was on it again. "Anyway, do you need help getting home? You look like you're finally starting to feel the alcohol in your system."

"Nope, I'm good!" I knew that even though I would go out and drink from time to time, I knew my limit and when not to drive. If I didn't have someone driving me, I would usually just sit in my car and wait for the alcohol to pass.

"All right, well you can't say I tried. Should I expect to see you next week?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Depends how I'm feeling."

"Well, I do hope I get to see you again; it's always a pleasure chatting with you. And uh, by the way, it looks like someone from your friend's table is coming over." Without thinking, I looked back at Erza's table to see Gray heading in my direction. "And that my friend, is my cue to leave. Give me an update next week with your famous boyfriend!" Famous? I widened my eyes at him as he instantly made his exit around the bar leaving the seat next to me vacant.

"Natsu, a pleasure seeing you here." The raven immediately took Zeref's seat as I turned back around to face the bar, desparately trying to avoid eye contact.

"Yeah, uh, what a surprise?" I gave a nervous laugh but it didn't come out too well due to the alcohol.

"Sounds like you've been having a blast with your friend who looks like he just left you." As I turned to make a smart retort, I quickly took in that he was wearing a skinny-type black suit and white dress shirt before speaking.

"First, he's not my friend. Second, since he's not my friend, he didn't just 'leave me' as you say."

"So who are you here with?"

"It's none of your business."

"You're a feisty one aren't you?" I thought about giving him a glare but I merely looked away as I was getting a bit tired from the drinks I had. "Would you like to join us at our table?" I shook my head as I debated whether or not I should get another drink. "You know, you look really nice tonight with your checkered shirt. A lot of people can't pull that look off." And that's when the alcohol broke down all barriers I had stopping me from showing my emotions for the world to see.

"Listen, can I ask why you're hanging out with me? Didn't you come here to have dinner with Erza and the others?"

"What do you think?" When that seductive smile appeared, I could literally feel my heart skip another beat.

"You tell me. And don't tell me you're into other guys. If you are, then it has to be the end of the world." I looked away trying to find something interesting to look at but of course, nothing else was interesting but the guy sitting next to me.

"And why would it be the end of the world?" A grin soon formed as I turned back to Gray to share my witty comment.

"Well, that would mean you're not straight and that would be impossible because you apparently flirted with Lucy, have some girl named Juvia that's head over heels for you, and have one night stands from time to time." The smile on his face became even bigger and I was a bit surprised as I expected it to disappear.

"You pay a lot of attention when it comes to me don't you?" When it clicked in my head, I tried turning away but not before I felt his hand grasp my chin, stopping me from doing so. "Not this time Natsu. Tonight, you're mine." And before I could refuse him, he crushed his lips into mine as I felt his tongue force its way into my mouth.

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**Author Note**: Wow, I'm surprised at how well this chapter turned out in my opinion. And now, we are at the end of the chapter! Don't worry, there'll be another chapter within the next week or two so don't fret over it too much! And now, have fun reviewing this chapter! See you next time!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: **We're officially at the seventh chapter of Pastry King! As I mentioned in the last chapter, I've gone through Chapters 1-6 and corrected any grammatical errors and run-on sentences. However, if you see one that slipped by, let me know and I'll fix it. Also, feel free to do the same with this chapter! Have fun reading!

**Title:** Pastry King

**Rating: **M (use of alcohol)

**Pairings****: **Gray x Natsu

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and its characters do not belong to me.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Mgluvsbl25:** I really love your reviews! They come with so much emotion that I can literally feel it especially when you say, "yasss". Some of the other readers may disagree with you about who Natsu ends up with since there are some Natsu x Sting fans lurking around. Oh well, I guess we'll find out soon enough! Have fun with Chapter 7! P.S. I've actually come across your name in the Sasuke x Naruto archives!

**AsDarknessSpreads:** I can't tell if that was sarcasm about the kiss but I will believe in your best intentions. And it would seem that readers such as yourself love Zeref. I honestly didn't expect him to be so popular but I guess that's how the story is progressing. Enjoy reading this chapter!

**darkhuntressxir:** Yeah, I guess Gray is becoming a little impatient but who knows? I'm surprised a lot of people love Zeref but I wonder if he'll become more than just a side character in this story. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Dark Sorcerer of Fire:** I _have_ been updating almost every week but keeping the motivation high is hard at times. Perhaps I should read some of your stories someday when I get the chance. And I'm honestly surprised with how many people love Zeref from last chapter but to see him become Gray's rival would be interesting yet odd. I hope this chapter will be fun to read as the last one. As always, I look forward to your next review!

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**Natsu's POV**

"Jeez, get a room already." I couldn't clearly tell what was happening but I knew that somehow, I found myself making out with Gray at the bar.

"Aww aren't they cute?" However, I tried to push him away but his grip was tight as I felt his arm slither around my waist and his other hand on the back of my head to keep me from moving.

"To be young and in love again." When I least expected it, we finally separated as I gasped for air. I kept my eyes on the raven across from me while I brought a finger to my lips, shocked at what just happened. That's when realization hit. I quickly looked around to see a couple of other people smiling, others with a disgusted face and thankfully, Erza's table didn't seem to notice. I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or my emotions but I was definitely feeling out of control. And hot.

"What the hell was that you asshole?"

"I think one could call that a kiss; a French kiss to be exact." He said with a smile as he licked his lips. "You taste pretty good for a guy." I didn't know whether to feel offended or praised but he was definitely getting on my nerves.

"Listen you dick, I'm not sure what kind of world you're living in but you don't just kiss people for no reason."

"Oh I had a reason to kiss you." I was a bit puzzled but nervous simultaneously. Part of me hopes that he kissed me because he actually likes me but another part feels like he did it for his own entertainment. When Zeref's co-worker passed by, Gray immediately grabbed his attention. "Excuse me but can I get a glass of rum and coke and for my friend," I eyed him warily as he gave another smile in my direction before continuing. "He would like a blueberry pomegranate cocktail." A suspicious expression made its way onto my face as his smirk didn't go away.

"Of course, I'll be right back with your drinks."

"Surprised I know your favorite drink?" I crossed my arms and gave my own smirk when I felt that I had the advantage.

"Looks like someone has paid an awful amount of attention to me."

"Hah, you give yourself too much credit but unfortunately, I do have to agree with you." Before we could get another word out, the bartender returned with our drinks and Gray had quickly paid off the bill before I could object. If this keeps up, I'll end up owing him a lot more than I would prefer.

"You know, I could have paid for my drink." I said as I took a big gulp of my cocktail. When Gray made a move to push his chair closer to mine, surprisingly, I didn't try to stop him.

"I know but I would prefer to take care of you while I'm around."

"Well, aren't we acting a bit differently from this morning." I licked the salt off the rim of the glass as I took another sip. "You were more quiet and emotionless and now, you seem very different. I wonder why." He took a sip of his rum and coke, which annoyed me. Other people have mentioned that when I consume a good amount of alcohol, I tend to become less patient. And difficult to deal with since I say what I feel about certain people.

"Perhaps I should start at the beginning." He placed his glass down and he suddenly had a serious expression. "When I first saw you, I was surprised to see someone with pink hair especially on a guy! For some reason, I thought you were very cute and I had somehow developed an interest for someone who happens to be a guy. Even though we didn't say much to each other at first, I didn't know how to approach you since I never felt like this for another guy but when Lyon had said you were interested in other men, I knew I had a chance." I felt his arm around my waist again but I didn't resist this time.

"Why do you keep talking like you're straight or something? And you keep saying 'for a guy' or 'another guy'. It's annoying." I said as I shook my drink around on the bar.

"I typically only date and sleep with girls." Suddenly, I felt an invisible blade cut a slit in my heart. "I was never attracted to other guys." And the blade started to cut deeper. "The thought of sleeping with another guy is so weird and I could never understand those that engage in those activities." I grasped my glass so hard that I wouldn't care if it shattered in my hand. "However, you're the first guy I've felt this way for and it's sort of interesting. And it would seem that the tactics I use for women also work on you." I gulped down the last of my drink as I turned to look at the raven with a cold, hard glare.

"So what? You see me as a booty call? Well that's too fucking bad because you're not going to get anything out of me." When he smiled, I really wanted to kick his ass but I restrained myself. But if he keeps going on like this, I wasn't sure if I could hold myself back any longer.

"A booty call? If I was interested, I wouldn't need you. I would simply call up one of the women who incessantly call to profess their love to me. But when it comes to you," He cupped my cheek in one of his hands as he brought his face closer to my own. "I'm not sure how to deal with you just yet." He continued to get closer to me but right before our lips touched, he whispered one more thing. "But I'm sure you're just as easy as the others." Something in me snapped as I quickly slapped the shit out of him to the point the sound resounded around the bar area. I stood up from my chair and couldn't stop myself any longer.

"You're just a fucking asshole aren't you?! You think you can get whatever you want just because you have money? Well guess what? You can't so fuck off! I don't care if you're investing in our second patisserie! If I see your face one more time, I'll beat the shit out of you!" When I was done yelling, I quickly made my way out of the restaurant as I waded through the crowd, ignoring the looks from the customers who overheard me.

"Natsu!" This is ridiculous. I was the one yelling at the guy and here I am about to cry. I've never felt so... hurt and used. As I stood in front of the elevator, I could feel my heartbeat beating so fast and I was so short of breath. I could already feel the water about to burst from my eyes like a dam about to break. "Natsu, wait!" I pushed the button as I impatiently waited for the damn elevator. "Natsu, would you turn around!?" I bit my lower lip when I heard the voice it belonged to but I couldn't help but turn and face her.

"Erza…" At that point, I couldn't help but break down and let my tears fall down my cheeks. Before I knew it, she quickly grabbed my hand and took me down the quiet hallway into a corner. When we stopped moving, she gave me the tightest hug as I kept crying into her chest while I took in short breaths.

"What happened in there?" She asked in such a way that really made me think she was my big sister. I sniffled a bit and tried to compose myself before talking. "You always get so emotional when you drink. Why didn't you tell me you were going out tonight? I could have come with you." I shook my head.

"Yo-you were go-going on a d-date with Je-Jellal. I did-didn't want to s-stop you." She created some space between us as she looked into my eyes.

"Natsu, you know you'll always be family to me. Now, can you tell me why you were yelling at Gray?" I bit my lower lip as I felt conflicted. Part of me wanted to tell her what Gray said but I didn't want to ruin her chance to achieve her dream. Her dream to have a well-known and popular business, no matter what it was. And right now, it was the patisserie. If I were to tell her, she might call the whole thing off with him and I know she's been looking for an investor for months. I can't ruin this for her. I can't be selfish, not now.

"It's nothing." I wiped the tears out of my eyes as I felt more composed. "He just said something that pissed me off." Technically, I wasn't lying but I wasn't telling the full story either. Erza looked like she didn't believe me but she gave a heavy sigh.

"Listen, you know I'll always be here for you right? No matter what?" I nodded. "Good. If you ever feel like talking, don't hesitate to let me know. Here, why don't you take the weekend off?" I was shocked at her proposal that I couldn't even say anything. "It'll be good for you to have the weekend to yourself before we do the interviews next week, wouldn't you say? And it'll give you some time to relax."

"But what about the patisserie?" She gave a soft smile.

"I'm sure with the help of Sting, Lyon and Loki will be able to run it themselves. Now," She ruffled my hair before continuing. "Go home and get some rest. Will you be able to get home all right?" Unfortunately, I had to shake my head.

"I… uh, had too much to drink." Her smile never left as she took a napkin from her purse and began to wipe my face.

"If there's anything about you that's good when you drink, it's that you know when you can't drive. Come on, spend some time with me and the others. It'll do you some good to see Jellal and Lyon. And I'll be sure that Gray won't bother you okay?" I kinda didn't want to go back inside the restaurant but I nodded my head. She grasped my hand as we made our way back inside the restaurant as the environment around me became noisy again. As we approached the table, Jellal was the first one who noticed as he waved over to us.

"There you guys are! I was wondering if you were going to come back or not." He said with a smile as I took my seat next to Erza. Our table was in the formation of an upside-down 'U' as we sat in the following clockwise: myself, Erza, Jellal, Lyon, and Gray.

"Sorry about that dear. I just wanted to check up on Natsu." I looked down into my hands trying to avoid Gray's line of sight but that didn't last long when Lyon started talking.

"I didn't even know you were here Natsu until you started yelling. Why didn't you tell us you were coming here tonight?" I looked up to see a concerned look on the sous chef's face. I honestly didn't feel like talking and when I opened my mouth to speak, Jellal's voice made itself known.

"I'm sure he has his reasons. Now why don't we order some food and leave Natsu alone? It looks like he's already a couple of hours ahead of us in terms of drinks and fun, right?" He shot a smile towards me and I couldn't help but do the same. Gray had called for the waiter and when they all placed their orders, I felt my phone vibrate as I took it out of my pocket.

Zeref: Did you get home safe?

I tapped some buttons away on the screen as I pushed 'Send' to send the message, which popped up in a bubble.

Natsu: I'm still at the restaurant.

When I made a move to put the phone away, it immediately vibrated. Don't tell me he replied that fast.

Zeref: You must be really having a bad day if you're still there.

And another message popped up.

Zeref: Having trouble with your boyfriend? If so, I'll beat his ass for you.

I smiled at the thought of Zeref beating someone up but he has such a slender build that no one would expect him to have a black belt in martial arts.

"Who are you talking to?" I looked up to see Erza staring at me while Jellal and Lyon were engrossed in their own conversation. On the other hand, I wasn't sure if Gray was staring at me but I definitely didn't want to find out so I kept my eyes on my big sister.

"I guess you could call him a friend. He actually works here as one of the bartenders."

"Does he now? How long have you known him?" I thought about it for a second or two before responding.

"Probably a year now. He's a great guy since he always makes time to listen to me even though he's at work himself. And he actually bought me all of my drinks tonight." The moment she smiled, it felt as if she approved of Zeref to be my friend.

"That's the first time I've ever heard you compliment someone so much." I glanced over to Lyon as he continued. "It's a nice side to see of you. You're usually a demon at work." I gave him a glare as he laughed of which Erza and Jellal joined in. Heh, I guess coming back here wasn't so bad after all. I went back to my phone as the others continued their conversation.

Natsu: No, that's okay. And stop calling him my boyfriend. He's just an asshole.

"The food is here!" Lyon exclaimed when everyone's food and drinks arrived as they started digging in. However, I mistakenly glanced over to Gray but for some reason, I couldn't read his expression. It looked like it was a mixture of emotions but I couldn't tell what it was. Tch, what do I care? He's just a rich asshole who only cares about himself and using others. I looked down to my phone again to see another message.

Zeref: If you're calling him an asshole, he must have done something to piss you off. Anyway, we can talk more about it on Monday if you want.

Natsu: Monday? But I don't come in on Monday nights.

"You're being unusually quiet; more so than usual. Are you all right?" I looked up to see Lyon asking Gray but the raven kept his eyes closed as he took a sip of his red wine. I'm not sure what happened but Lyon's expression had changed when no words were exchanged. Did Gray say something without actually saying anything?

"I'm fine. I'm just thinking about a couple of things. Please, let's just enjoy the rest of the evening." I almost had to stop my eyes from rolling. He sure knew how to act around other people because he was definitely acting like an asshole with me earlier tonight. When my phone vibrated, I looked back down at my phone and I couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise, excitement, and uneasiness.

Zeref: Oh I must have forgotten to tell you! I'm actually interviewing for a position at your second patisserie!

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**Author Note**: Looks like we're at the end of the chapter! Getting through this chapter was particularly difficult only because I lost some motivation. I was surprised to see less reviews last chapter so I ask those of you who do not typically review, please take some time out and share your thoughts. They're usually a good source of motivation for me so I look forward to reading some additional reviews such as from nori of the sea and 0.o Natsu o.0. I'll see everyone in the next chapter!

And this is a shout-out to Dark Sorcerer of Fire for always having awesome reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note: **Hey everyone! Here is the eighth chapter of Pastry King and it's actually a bit longer than usual so I hope you enjoy it! I sort of revamped my writing style again so I'm not sure if you'll notice but if you do, let me know if you like it or not. It's all thanks to a certain reviewer of mine!

**Title:** Pastry King

**Rating: **T

**Pairings****: **Gray x Natsu

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and its characters do not belong to me.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**nori of the sea:** Thanks so much for your review! I definitely missed you last chapter since you always write some nice, motivating ones. And I'm sure Gray will turn out for the better, hopefully for Natsu's sake. Have fun reading the chapter!

**AsDarknessSpreads:** Haha, I'll leave that to your imagination as to what was exchanged between Gray and Lyon. And yeah, we'll get to see more of Zeref soon! Most likely in the next chapter though but other than that, enjoy the eighth chapter of Pastry King!

**darkhuntressxir: **Yeah, Gray was definitely an asshole in the last chapter but he may or may not have his reasons. And hopefully Zeref does well in the interview so we can see him work with Natsu! Have fun reading!

**grayxnatsuFT:** Aww, I absolutely loved your review; it was so nice. And I'll do my best to update as fast as I can but you know, other things such as work prohibit me from doing so. Who knows? There may be more smut in this chapter! Read and find out!

**RadioHeart:** Aww, thank you so much for taking the time to review then! I definitely appreciate it and I hope you continue to do so!

**Guest: **Well, here's the update! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

**Dark Sorcerer of Fire:** Ah, if it isn't my favorite reviewer who also happens to be my biggest critic. I did change my writing style for this chapter but I'm not too sure if it's going to be noticeable but I hope so. Hopefully, the thing that is bothering you will start to go away after this chapter; otherwise, I'm not sure what I'll have to do! Maybe I should just stop writing this fic. Just kidding! I actually wonder what you will think of the developments in this chapter and maybe it'll leave you on the edge of your seat this time! Have fun!

**isuyoo:** Haha, we'll see if Zeref somehow becomes rivals with Gray. Or what if he suddenly becomes rivals with Natsu? That would be interesting. Anyway, thanks so much for your praise and I would love to see more reviews from you. Have fun reading this chapter!

**CsillaDream:** Wow, you read everything I've written so far? Well, welcome to Pastry King's fan club! And make sure you eat right now! I don't want you to pass out before we reach the end! I absolutely loved your review so don't apologize for it being so long. In fact, I encourage you to keep reviewing like that! And thank you so much for your praise! I'll do my best to ensure I live up to your expectations!

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**Natsu's POV**

After stretching my arms and legs, I turned on my side to get a better sleeping position. I shut my eyes tight, trying to fall back asleep but my mind kept revolving around one thing: the events from last night. Sighing, I stretched out my hand and grabbed my phone to see that it was 06:24. Of course, even though I have the weekend off, I would still wake up early. It's funny because I thought I would catch up on the sleep I've been missing out but I guess I didn't need any. Now that I was wide awake, I didn't want to leave the comfort of my warm blanket especially when it felt kind of cold in my room. When an image of Gray undecidedly popped in my head, I felt annoyed. No, that's not the right word. Embarrassed is more like it. As sad as it may sound, I really couldn't stop thinking about last night.

Erza and Jellal were all lovey-dovey but it's not like that wasn't to be expected. Even though I was alone in my room, I felt embarrassed when I thought about Erza cradling me like a child. And worse, she saw me crying. No, that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that I was crying _because _of Gray. I ran my hand through my hair and shook my head at myself. I hate this. I hate feeling like I don't have any control over my feelings.

'You know you'll always be family to me.' I smiled thinking back to what my big sister said. It's not like I didn't expect her to console me or anything. No wait, yeah, I definitely didn't expect her to do something like that. Erza wasn't cold or anything but her way of expressing her feelings were definitely, well, I guess you could say it was unique. But last night was the first time in a long time she held me in her arms. It actually made me feel a little bit better. Not that I would say this to her of course; that would be too embarrassing for me. Now that I'm thinking about it, the last time she held me was when Igneel passed away. I guess she really has been there for me when everything seemed to be going downhill.

I turned and laid on my left arm when I felt that tingling feeling in my right arm. You know, the one you feel when you've been lying on it for too long. Didn't want to cut the blood flow and have my arm give out on me. When an image of blue hair popped up, it reminded me Erza's boyfriend. Jellal was usually quiet, a bit shy, and he rather observe rather than participate. At least, that's what Erza said. Surprisingly, I actually didn't see any of that last night and you would think I was with a different Jellal considering how talkative he was with Lyon. Maybe my older sister said something for him to get along with the others or maybe it was just the alcohol talking. Either way, they both talked all night long and if you asked me, they kind of looked like they were a couple. That didn't last long since Erza popped into their conversation every now and again. I didn't even know what they were talking about but I think it was about Lyon's history with Fairy Tail's Patisserie or something of that nature.

Gray, on the other hand, was really quiet, which sort of reminded me of how we had breakfast. Tch, just thinking about him pisses me off. Who the hell does that guy think he is talking to me like I'm not as good as he is? I don't know if he has a split personality or what but the Gray I was with at breakfast was entirely different than the one I was having drinks with at the bar. Hmm, maybe he has a side that he shows to strangers and another that he shows to people he knows. Still, that doesn't excuse him for being a dick and thinking he can get into anyone's pants, never mind my own. Although, I do have to admit that he's sexy with those looks of his. And his lips were so soft, wet, and definitely irresistible. Did I mention how good he smells? I swear, it's like some sort of pheromone that makes you want him.

Wait, I'm doing it again. I rolled my eyes at myself. I feel so pathetic. I keep talking about him like he's an asshole and the next second, I'm saying how fuck-able he is. Something is definitely wrong with me. I started to get out of bed but not all the way as I started to rub my eyes to get some of the sleepiness out. I brought my head up and looked at the ceiling, expecting to see something else that may not have been my ceiling. I felt goosebumps when the thought of seeing a dead girl hovering above me ran thorough. Stupid Loki for saying that rumor. Even though I didn't want to believe him, I made sure not to look at the ceiling again before finally getting out of bed and putting my slippers on.

As I moved through my apartment, I soon found myself in the living room. Hmm, I'm kind of thirsty. I entered the kitchen and popped the fridge open, revealing a brand new bottle of orange juice. I quickly grabbed it, twisted the cap open, and began to taste the citrus flavor as it ran down my throat.

"Ahh, tastes good." Gray… why did you have to be such a dick last night? And why do I keep thinking about you? I hate how you spoke to me but I can't stop thinking about you. No, I refuse to even remotely like an asshole of your caliber. I wrinkled my nose as I made my way towards the living room with my juice. I wonder if it's because of all that money that makes him think he can act like that. Refusing to think about him any longer, I made myself comfortable on the couch as I grabbed the remote control to turn on the television.

"And before we end this interview, we're only four months away from the National Pastry Competition. Is there anything you want to say to our viewers?" When the camera zoomed out, I narrowed my eyes in discontent. The pastry chef on the television was a slim man of average height that had tanned skin and spiky crimson hair, similar to Erza's.

"Nothing except for the fact I can already hear the judges declare me as the winner." I rolled my eyes at his boisterous attitude. "Oh and Natsu, you won't be winning this time."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." I looked around the room feeling a bit embarrassed when I realized that I was just talking out loud.

"Natsu? Ah, you mean the renowned pastry chef who made the rose macaron?" The interviewer asked as Erik nodded his head before continuing.

"His macaron is nothing compared to the one I'll have at the competition. You better be ready Natsu." A devious grin formed on his face as I immediately changed the channel to the weather channel, already annoyed with how the morning was going. Erik, nicknamed Cobra, and I have some sort of a history, which still pisses me off to this day. Around a year or two ago, he accused me saying how I stole his rose macaron recipe and I had to defend myself on more than one occasion before the Pastry Committee finally decided that it was my invention. The whole ordeal was excruciating, life-draining, and most of all, annoying.

"Today, we have a high of 64 degrees Fahrenheit with a mix of clouds and sun early in the morning. Later on today, it will become cloudy with winds light and variable." Sounds like a good day to just stay in and do nothing all day. Hmm, but wasn't Gray going to be at the patisserie today to do some work? Maybe I should stop in so I can see him… maybe we can chat for a bit or something. Wait, what am I thinking? Why would I want to see that asshole? I stood up from the couch and placed my hands on my hips. I refuse to see him ever again!

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~08:42~

That's what I said but now, I'm standing in front of the patisserie like a lost puppy returning back home. The doors aren't open just yet but from peeking through the window, I could see Lucy tidying up the dining room. Should I just go back home? I turned my head around to see the sun starting to fade away due to incoming clouds. I sighed as I took out the keys from my pocket and entered one of them in the keyhole, successfully unlocking it while being as stealthy as possible.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" And of course, I wasn't quiet enough. As I entered the patisserie, I locked the door behind me before closing it shut. "I thought Erza said you had the day off?" I smiled as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Yeah, guess I got bored at home." Lame excuse but I didn't expect to be interrogated right off the bat. She stared at me quizzically before giving me a look of astonishment.

"Really? If I didn't have work, I would have slept until around noon." I looked around the dining room, hoping that the raven was somewhere around here but he was nowhere to be found. "Ah don't worry, Erza isn't here if you're looking for her. She said she had some business to take care of at our new patisserie."

"Ah, well don't mind me. I'll just be doing some work in the kitchen." As I approached, it looked as if she wanted to say something but she remained quiet.

"Um, Natsu?" Surprised by her whisper, I laughed a bit nervously. Guess I really am a bit anti-social or as Zeref would like to call me, an introvert.

"What is it?" I paused in my steps, waiting for a response but once a couple of seconds passed, the silence became a bit awkward. I didn't know whether or not to let her continue her inner battle or say something but my gut feeling was telling me to choose the latter. "Lu…"

"Never mind. Forget I said anything." She gave me her usual smile but I gave her a look of disbelief. Regardless, I debated whether or not I should probe further but shook my head as I made my way into the kitchen. She'll tell me whenever she feels ready.

"Natsu! What are you doing here?" Sting immediately ran over and greeted me as I glanced over at the other two pastry chefs in the background. They both had smiles on their faces but Loki's smile seemed to communicate a message such as: 'Looking for Gray?' Just as I was about to speak, Sting took my hand and brought me over to his station. "Look at what I just finished! I was hoping to show them to you on Monday but since you're here, what do you think? I call them Honey Bee Macarons!" Honestly, I was amazed at what I was saw. It was a yellow macaron with chocolate ganache for the stripes, and honeycomb filling in the middle.

"Looks like someone is impressed." Even though Loki made a singsongy comment, I couldn't help but agree. Each yellow macaron had three stripes, a pair of eyes, and a smiley face, which makes sense for them to be called a honey bee macaron. I picked one of the finished macarons up, gently placed it in my mouth, and ate it slowly, making sure to taste every ingredient.

"Doesn't the honeycomb give such an incredible dynamic to it? It lends its own sweet and bitter flavor to the ganache while making it chewy but filled with specks of crunchy honeycomb. I think it complement the crunchy and chewy texture of the macaron really well." I placed the rest of the macaron down on the plate, knowing full well everyone's eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction.

"I can't lie, this tastes really good! Nice job Sting." I patted him on the back and I couldn't help but have a huge smile plastered on my face. It's been a while since someone impressed me and I felt really proud of him. I knew he was different from the rest of the chefs who came in here looking to learn from me but seeing this, it puts him on a whole different level.

"I told you he'd like it." My heart jumped at the sound of the voice as I looked past Sting to find the source. Standing by the locker room door was the man I was hoping to see. Gray, the obnoxious entrepreneur. I returned my gaze to Sting as he laughed to himself.

"Sorry for not believing you. It's hard to impress one of the most famous pastry chefs of all time." For some reason, I didn't know what to do right now. Should I say something? Should we even bother talking about last night? Was there even something to talk about? No, stop overthinking this. He wouldn't care about how I felt, right? Maybe I should just ignore him. But that doesn't make sense. If I wanted to ignore him, why did I even come here?

"You all right over there?" Loki's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I stared blankly at the four-eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said as I walked past Sting and Gray without sparing the raven a second look as I entered the locker room. When I got to my locker, I could hear the door open and close behind me but I chose to ignore whoever came in, especially if it was the raven. Even though a little part of me was hoping it was him.

"So you're not even going to say good morning?" And it was. I entered the combination on my padlock and opened it up to see my chef uniform inside.

"I thought I said I would beat your ass the next time I saw you. Besides, I have nothing to say to you." I took off my light jacket and hung it inside, waiting for his response.

"Are you really going to get worked up over what I said last night?" I shut the locker door loudly and turned around to face him.

"I think I have a pretty good reason, wouldn't you agree?" All of my feelings started to swell up inside and we haven't even talked for more than a couple of seconds. Was this guy really that thick?

"And what reason would that be?" I stared the raven down and somehow, we found ourselves in a eye-staring contest. However, even though my eyes were locked with his, I could see out of my peripheral that he was dressed in another suit. It made him look dashing might I add. My eyes began to squint as did his but I could feel my own starting to give way.

"Don't play dumb." I closed my eyes and looked away, impressed with how I got away without losing to that bastard.

"Oh? What's wrong? Did your eyes need a break?" I snarled as I opened my eyes to see a smirk. "I could have sworn you liked me. Isn't that why you went out with me to have breakfast? I thought we were pretty intimate when we held hands later that afternoon." When that particular memory of us holding hands became clear as day, I could feel my face warming up. No, I refuse to turn red for this guy!

"I only went out with you out of respect for Erza. You were her investor and that's it. Don't mistake my kindness for feelings that obviously don't exist." I really wanted to stop when I saw a shocked look but I couldn't control my mouth. I just kept going. "I could never like someone who's an asshole, enjoys toying with people and treats everyone like shit." I began walking towards the exit and as soon as I was next to him, I paused. "You're exactly the kind of person I thought rich people were; self-righteous idiots. Thank you for showing me that it was true." Before I could walk out, I felt his hand grab my arm and I felt myself being thrown further into the locker room as I fell back on my ass by a couple of feet. "What the fuck?" I looked up to see the approaching figure, ignoring the pain coming from my ass as I was a bit shocked that he threw me to the ground.

"You have some nerve talking to me like that. You really have no idea who you're talking to do you?" I smiled, hoping it would anger him further.

"I know everything I need to know. You're a rich fucking bastard. What else is there to know about you?" I pushed myself back up on my feet as I patted my clothes, removing any dirt that may have gotten on me. When I looked back, my plan worked when he seemed to be a bit pissed off that it actually made me relish what I was doing. It made me happy to know that I had some sort of an effect on him even though it wasn't anything remotely positive.

"My name is Gray Fullbuster, CEO of Fullbuster Enterprise, the world's leading company in electronics and a Fortune 100 company. You would do well to remember that." I immediately felt goosebumps by his venomous tone. For the first time, I felt a bit nervous around the raven and it wasn't the type of feeling you had around people you didn't know. No, it was the type of feeling you only felt in a life or death situation. I gulped as my pride wouldn't back down. I didn't care if he was God himself, he has no right to treat me like this.

"Is that so? Well my name is Natsu Dragneel, the most renowned Pastry Chef of Magnolia and the leader in revolutionizing the pastry world. You would do well to remember that in this patisserie." I said with a cold tone. I was expecting another retort but instead, he started to laugh. Not too loud but enough to catch me off guard. "What the hell is so funny?"

"You really are a first aren't you?" I raised my eyebrow questioningly.

"A first?" I asked, urging him to explain.

"You're the first person I've met that's treated me like this. It's quite… entertaining." I grinned as I felt a bit happy to know that I was a first in something in his life. Even though it may not turn out too well in the end, at least it's something.

"Whatever. Don't think you're off the hook for last night."

"You sure like to hold grudges don't you?"

"And you sure like to piss people off don't you?" He shook his head, which actually made my heart sink a bit.

"Your IQ must be pretty low if you need to keep using my words." I glared at the raven, which he responded by grinning. "What's wrong? Do you need a dictionary?"

"That's okay. I already know the definition of pathetic." He laughed once more and to be honest, it sounded quite nice. It'd be something I wouldn't mind hearing again if we weren't throwing such venomous words at each other. And not in this locker room.

"I thought you would love my personality. A lot of people find it to be quite mysterious and attractive." I gave him a questioningly look. Who the hell would find this guy to be mysterious? He had a terrible personality even though he looks extremely attractive with that soft, raven hair and mysterious onyx orbs.

"Whoever thinks that about you must be crazy. Insane even."

"I guess that must mean you're insane."

"What?" I felt a bit confused but when he smiled at me, I immediately made the connection. "Please, don't think too highly of yourself. I would never find you attractive. Ask me again 100 lifetimes from now."

"Is that so? Let's find out if that's true shall we?" Feeling confused again, I didn't have anything to say. However, when he began to approach me, I instinctively started to walk backwards.

"What are you doing?" I asked even though I felt like I knew the answer; I didn't want to believe it. My heart began to race and I felt more nervous with each step I took going back. He didn't answer; instead, he gave me the look of a predator who had his prey in a corner. When I felt my back hit the lockers behind me, I looked to my left since that was the only direction to move in.

"Didn't I say last night that you're not going to get away from me that easily?" As soon as he said that, he ran towards me and placed his hands on both sides of the locker behind me, preventing my escape. I swallowed a bit of my saliva, nervous yet a bit excited of what might happen. Did I want this to happen? If so, why do I feel so nervous? "You want this don't you?" Before I could do anything, his lips melded with my own as his tongue forced its way in as memories of last night rushed back simultaneously. When I felt his arms wrap around my waist, that did it. I started kissing him back as I wrapped my own arms around his neck. When he removed his lips, I was a bit disappointed but that soon went away when he placed them on my neck.

"Ahh… Ga-Gray…" I moaned out his name, cursing at myself for doing so. I didn't want to seem needy but when his hands went from my waist to rubbing my ass, I wanted him. Badly. I closed my eyes as I felt his leg rub against my crotch as I could feel myself heating up down there.

"Why do you taste so good?" He said as he licked my neck and when he found one of my pleasure points, I almost yelled out in ecstasy. "Looks like I found one." He immediately went back to making out with that particular spot as we grinded one another. I felt like I was in heaven as he continued his hypnotic movements. Just as I was about to grab his manhood, a familiar voice made itself known.

"Are you guys doing all right in here?" Gray immediately created an immense amount of space between us as he fixed up his tie making it look like nothing happened. I, on the other hand, turned around to face the locker, trying to hide the embarrassment of being caught.

"Yeah, we're fine. Why?" I was glad that the raven decided to do all the talking as I tried to gather myself at what just happened. It all felt so good but how could I just let him take me over so easily? For a second time?

"It's just you two have been in here for a while. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Part of me hates how my sous chef just had to ruin the moment but should I be grateful? I panted hard into the locker wishing I could just go back into Gray's arms and continue what we were doing.

"We were just talking about the the plan for Monday. Interviews and such." A moment of silence passed but I kept staring at the locker in front of me. I didn't want Lyon to think something else was happening.

"All right, if you say so." When I heard the door open again, I exhaled a huge breath but I tensed up when I heard another voice.

"Natsu!" I turned around to see my protege ignoring Gray as he passed him. "I couldn't wait any longer for you to come out of the locker room so I was wondering if you weren't busy, maybe you would want to hang out later tonight? Maybe have dinner and such?" Sting give one of the biggest smiles in the world and it took me awhile to process what he was asking me. I had no real reason to say no so… I didn't.

"Um, sure, why not?"

"All right! Maybe we can also watch a movie or something." I looked past the blonde to see the entrepreneur who seemed to be really pissed off. Probably mad that I said yes. Although, he really shouldn't since we're not together or anything, right? "Oh, I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" My attention was brought back to reality as I looked back at the blondie to see him glancing between the raven and myself.

"Yes, we were having a conversation. Do you mind leaving so we can finish?" I was a bit surprised by how cold and straightforward Gray was but when I glanced back at my protege, he looked unfazed.

"Sorry about that. I'll talk to you later in the kitchen." He said as he began to walk out of the locker room. He definitely has some thick skin on him. As soon as the door closed, I half expected us to continue what we were doing but wasn't surprised when it didn't happen.

"Why are you going out with him tonight?"

"Did you miss the whole invitation?" Gray was definitely pissed off. I could tell when his eyebrows were arching downwards and touching each other. I knew why he was pissed but it's not like I could have said no. He bit his lower lip and looked downwards as if he was contemplating something. I gulped nervously, waiting for his reaction. When he looked back up, his anger didn't seem to have dissipated.

"I thought you wanted me, not some second rate pastry chef." And that's when I snapped.

"You're such a fucking asshole. Why the fuck do you keep putting people down? I don't care if you do it to me but when you do it to people I care about, we're going to have a problem."

"From what I heard, he didn't even start until yesterday. Why do you act as if you've known him your whole life?"

"Because it's called having respect! Something you seem to lack! Yeah, this definitely wasn't going to work out between us. And whatever, all you see me as is a booty call anyway. What's wrong with you? Are you that insecure?" I seemed to have hit a nerve when his glare vanished.

"Insecure? Wow, you must really be stupid huh?"

"Fuck off! You know what," I closed the distance between us as we were practically feeling each other's breaths. "Just get out of my face. I hope I never see you again." Shit, what the fuck did I say?

"Fine, so be it." No, wait. "It was nice knowing you Natsu Dragneel." I didn't mean to say that! When he left the locker room, I couldn't move. I couldn't even chase after him. All I did was slam the locker next to me with my fist, realizing what I've done. Fuck, I really messed up didn't I?

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**Author Note**: And now, we are at the end of the chapter! One of the longest ones I've written for this story so I hope each of you appreciate the time I took to do this. Please let me know what you think through a review! I really appreciate the amount of love I received last chapter and I look forward to reading each of your reviews with delicious detail. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note: **Welcome to Chapter 9 of Pastry King! This chapter was a little difficult to get through due to a couple of reasons so please don't mind if the writing seems off. I did my best to have it reflect the writing style from Chapter 8 so let me know if it doesn't. Have fun reading!

**Title:** Pastry King

**Rating: **T

**Pairings****: **Gray x Natsu

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and its characters do not belong to me.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**RadioHeart:** Aww, thank you! I do my best making sure everyone's personalities stay consistent from chapter to chapter. I look forward to another review from you!

**nori of the sea:** Yet another wonderful review! Honestly, I can imagine how your review sounds in my head and it's awesome. Oh my, this story gets you hungry? Maybe I should ease back on the pastries or something. I look forward to your next review as well!

**darkhuntressxir:** Yeah, Lyon does seem to have a habit of doing that. Maybe he knows what's happening and wants to be a jerk by interrupting. And maybe Natsu will be nicer in this chapter… or not.

**AsDarknessSpreads:** Haha your review was fun to read. It seems someone always has to be an asshole to someone in this story! Maybe it'll end soon enough and on a good note for everyone.

**Mglubsbl25:** Oh don't apologize. I only ask that you review if you have the time and chance to do so. I understand you're busy yourself with your own story so I appreciate you reading my own! I'll check out your story when I get the chance!

**grayxnatsuFT:** Awesome, I'm happy to see that you're enjoying the story even more! I can't wait to write more scenes between Gray and Natsu since they tend to be more exciting.

**Dark Sorcerer of Fire:** Yay, finally some praise from the critic! However, like I said in the notes above, this chapter felt a little odd to me when writing and reviewing it. It's like it didn't match last chapter but I tried to make it similar. And yeah, I'm not sure who you're referring to when you say "many" people but I'll trust your instincts. Haha. I don't think this chapter is all that exciting but it's some sort of progress I suppose. I actually had to rewrite a couple of scenes because I kept falling back into my old writing style, which was super annoying. I can't wait for your next review!

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**Natsu's POV**

~Wednesday, 07:42~

"So why Fairy Tail's Patisserie?" Staring at the bulky man across from me, I waited patiently for his response. He had a bit of a stubble on his face, which wasn't particularly attractive.

"Well," He started off nervously. "Natsu Dragneel works here and I'm sure I would learn a lot if I were to work with him." He finished up with a nervous laugh, trying to avoid any further eye contact. He seemed like a nice guy but it was obvious he wasn't qualified. I mean, he was basically boring me half to death! After checking a 'No' box on the form, it was finally the end of the interview.

"Thank you for interviewing with Fairy Tail's Patisserie. We typically interview a lot of candidates for this position and if we are interested in moving forward with your application, we will definitely give you a phone call."

"Awesome!" We both stood up and when I saw his hand stretch out, I shook it to be 'professional' as Erza would call it. "Thank you so much for the opportunity and I look forward to hearing a call back soon." As he walked through the dining room, I waited until the very moment the front door closed behind him before letting out a huge sigh.

"What's wrong?" I glanced over to Jellal who paused in organizing the applications, otherwise known as applicants that weren't going to get hired for a variety of reasons.

"Nothing." I looked away from him and stared at the queue forming outside the door, waiting for an interview. "Couldn't we have done appointments or something? I'm just one person!" When I saw red hair walking to the door besides the queue, I anxiously waited to hear how many applicants we had this morning. Was it a long line like Monday? Or a short one today? Either way, it gave me an idea of what time I would be going home. Erza slowly opened the door, letting some chit-chat of the applicants fill our new patisserie.

"What should we do Erza? With these people, there's no way Natsu can go through all of them in one day." That was actually a good question.

As she closed the door behind her, her professional voice made itself known. "Change of plans." I looked over to Jellal to see if he was feeling anxious but all he did was softly smile at me. "Jellal, you'll do interviews for those interested working in the front of the house. Natsu, I will do first interviews with the chefs and if I think anyone is worth your time, I'll send them to you. And don't worry, I know exactly the kind of person you prefer to work with from when we opened our first patisserie. Now let's move these tables and make some signs! Move it you two!"

"Yes ma'am." I said tirelessly but as soon as I got the death glare from the queen of pain, I got my ass in gear. I definitely didn't want to get yelled at the end of all this.

~Wednesday, 07:59~

I stared in awe at how Erza could come up with something like this so quickly. I'm pretty sure she didn't even have to _think_ about it. We left the front door open, letting the queue split into two lines where we made the following sign:

'FOH Positions to the Right: Jellal Fernandes/BOH or Chef Positions to the Left: Erza Scarlet'

The applicants in Jellal's line look more outgoing, friendly and mostly women while those in Erza's line were more serious, nervous and mostly male. I stared at Jellal as he smiled and made jokes with some of the women, which made me wonder if he was even qualified to interview people for our patisserie. I felt a cold shiver run through my body when I glanced over to Erza and I could practically hear her saying, 'Do you doubt my decision in picking Jellal? Huh?!' I shook my head trying to get rid of the thought. She was more intimidating and serious with her applicants to the point it looked like some of the chefs wanted to run away in fear. I know their pain all too well.

I looked down at the wood carved table, thinking about the events this past Saturday. The banter between me and Gray. The fight. How I said I didn't want to see Gray ever again. I could literally feel my heart being carved up again and again just thinking about it. It hurts… and I don't even know why. I don't understand. Why do I like him so much? Why can't I get him out of my head? I laid my right elbow on the table as I used my hand to rub my forehead, trying to stop the impending headache.

I haven't seen or heard from him since then. It's been four days already! Ugh, I wish there was a time machine or something. I would go back and beat the shit out of the past me before I messed everything up. Why can't things be simple? Like making pastries. I sighed to myself before looking up to see that the queue hasn't gotten any shorter. At least it wasn't super cold just yet; otherwise, I would make sure that door stayed closed.

Apparently, Erza had put out a hiring ad in the newspaper or something but I didn't think we would get this many people. Hell, we barely had anyone come to the first job fair we had a couple of months ago. When I saw blonde hair sticking out of my peripheral, I stared at the woman on Jellal's line but she didn't look like anyone I knew. Odd, her hair was so yellow just like Sting's. Tch, just thinking about Sting reminded me of what happened that afternoon. I felt really bad but I told him I wouldn't be able to go out with him that night. How could I after what happened with Gray? He didn't even ask why but I promised that I would make it up to him one day.

"Hey Natsu!" When I looked up to see who called me, I felt a bunch of goosebumps run on the back of my neck in excitement.

"Zeref! How are you?" Before I could stand up to greet the slim raven, he took the chair across from me and made himself comfortable. "I was a bit worried when you didn't show up on Monday."

"Oh you know how it is for me. Work, work, and more work kept me from being here. I live such a fulfilling life don't I? But never mind me, how about yourself?" Zeref began to take off his jacket and had wrapped it around the chair.

"What do you think? I thought I told you I was interviewing all this week. I haven't even found a single chef yet."

"You _know_ that's not what I'm talking about." He stared at me for a bit, leaving me confused. That is, until he continued speaking. "Oh man, did you blackout or something? I know you had a couple of drinks that night but how could you forget your boyfriend?" I glared at him once I understood who he was talking about.

"One, he's not my boyfriend. Two, why are you even asking about him?" He covered his heart in a dramatic fashion as if he was about to faint.

"How could you treat your friend like this? I thought I meant something to you!" He began to cry into his arms when I noticed his theatrics got the attention of some applicants on Erza's line. "Just kidding!" He said with a smile as he pulled out a short glass from his bag and a couple of other ingredients. When I saw him pull out a bottle of vodka, I felt dumbfounded. What the hell is he doing? I eyed him carefully as he mixed all the ingredients together and when he pulled out a cocktail mixer, my eyes widened.

"Zeref!" I said in a whisper so no one else would hear. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

"Now why would I want to get you in trouble?" When I realized he wasn't taking me seriously, my mouth dropped. As soon as a loud sound of liquid and ice began to mix with each other in the mixer, immediately, everyone's eyes fell upon us. I darted my eyes around the room, hoping that whatever Zeref was doing would end quickly. If he didn't, Erza was about to have a field day with him.

"What the hell is that guy doing?"

"Who does he think he is making all that noise?"

"Wait, isn't that a cocktail mixer?"

"It looks like he's making a drink."

"For who?"

"He's making one for Natsu Dragneel!"

"What!?" Numerous applicants screamed in shock. Refusing to look at Erza directly, I instead used my peripheral as she continued to watch us. Why hasn't she said anything yet? Was she was assessing the situation before taking any action? I looked back to Zeref as he began pouring out a pink drink into the glass. When he placed a couple of blackberries into the drink, it looked like a blueberry pomegranate cocktail! Wait, should I be nervous since Erza is probably going to chew my head off? Hmm, I feel a bit guilty for being a bit excited because I'm pretty sure he's making my favorite drink!

"He's bribing the head chef! You can't possibly condone this!" When one of the applicants yelled, Erza immediately stood up. As soon as she stood next to us, she definitely made her presence known when all I saw was a dark figure with red, gleaming eyes.

"May I ask what's happening over here?" She said it in such a nice tone that I didn't know how to respond to avoid her wrath. I shouldn't even bother at this rate. She was on her way to slice and dice anyone in her path and now, that was me and unfortunately, Zeref.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I create a ruckus?" Zeref stood up from his chair and slowly bowed his head to Erza. "That wasn't my intention. In fact, the only reason why I'm making a drink is because I'm actually a bartender. I think that showcasing my skills would be the best way for Natsu to understand why I'm qualified to work at Fairy Tail's patisserie." I looked between the raven and scarlet, anxious about what would happen next. "It's like a pastry chef baking a pastry. How would you know if the chef is good without tasting their pastries?" At that point, I was astounded at how Zeref could come up with such an elaborate story right off the bat. Or did he actually plan this whole thing? Either way, it's pretty impressive.

"Fine, just keep it down over here." Without another word, she returned to her desk and yelled at everyone to focus their attention on the interview. I honestly felt relieved that she let Zeref off the hook.

"Here, something for your stress." He pushed the drink across the table as I stared at it with great interest. I licked my lips in anticipation as I slowly picked up the glass and took a sip. Who cares if it was only 08:30 in the morning?!

"Ah! Tastes good!" Zeref arguably made the best drinks in the city. However, in the next second, I narrowed my eyes at the bartender. After all, this _is_ an interview. "I'm not sure if you're taking this interview seriously enough."

"You're so mean. Do you not agree with what I said not too long ago?" I suspiciously stared at the raven, wondering what his real intentions were. Everything he said to Erza was true but he doesn't have any experience in the kitchen. I'm happy my big sister thought he's qualified but without experience, how could you work at one of the most famous patisseries? "You don't actually think I'm applying for a chef position do you?" I blinked my eyes for a couple of seconds before processing what was just said.

"Wait, you're not?" He delicately brought a hand up to his lips before laughing.

"No silly. I interviewed with that blue haired guy to be a butler. I could never cut it out as a pastry chef, never mind with you. You'd probably kill me." He laughed to himself for a couple of seconds when I felt myself relax in my seat.

"I'm happy." The raven looked surprised to hear that just as I was at the fact it escaped my mouth.

"Aww, I knew you loved me!"

"Shut up." I mumbled as I took another sip of his drink.

"By the way, the guy who interviewed me is hot. You should introduce me." I looked behind him to see Jellal interviewing another woman with brown hair. I glanced back to Zeref as a smirk formed on my lips.

"Unfortunately for you, he's straight. And he already has someone." I pointed over to Erza and when he followed my finger, he shook his head.

"Why do all the girls get the hot guys?" I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Although, that doesn't seem to be the case for you since you somehow snagged the CEO of Fullbuster Enterprise." I suddenly felt goosebumps again but this time, it ran throughout my entire body. How does he know who Gray is? "You're so lucky but I'm really happy for you." I felt annoyed yet excited talking about him as I merely looked away towards the kitchen.

"He's not my boyfriend. How many times do I have to keep saying that? And besides, whatever we had is over now." Without waiting for him to say anything, I continued. "Zeref, I… I think I fucked up. I told him that I never wanted to see his face again. I don't know anything about him except for the fact that he's Erza's investor. And even if I wanted to see him, I don't even know where to start." I took another sip of the cocktail before placing it gently back down on the table.

"Here, why don't I fill you in on who he is?" When I looked back, all I saw was a smile on his face. Every time I had a shitty day or some type of problem, I would always go to the bar so I could talk about it. He _always_ had some sort of solution for me. I'm sure he doesn't get anything out of helping me but he does it anyway. I should probably get him a gift or something to thank him.

"Please, any information would help." I bowed my head but I suddenly felt a hand slap me. I immediately looked up to glare at the raven for hitting me.

"Don't bow your head over something like this. Of course I'll help you. We're friends aren't we?" I looked at him suspiciously but I just smiled and nodded my head afterwards.

"You're right. You've been a good friend to me and for that, I'll make sure you get a position with us."

"Hey, hey, don't do that. I don't want to get a job here because you said something. I want to earn it, not given to me on a silver platter." I nodded my head in understanding. The hard work you put into your career. The good times and bad times. Everything I've done up to this point to earn my reputation is because of my hard work. No one helped or guided me to this point.

"I understand. I'll leave it up to Jellal then to decide whether you're qualified." He smiled as he looked back at the blunette.

"So that's his name. Maybe I can snatch him away from his girlfriend."

"Don't do that. I would actually beat the shit out of you if you ever tried." He turned back and sheepishly laughed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, back to Gray Fullbuster." I took one last sip of the cocktail as I finished it up, intent on absorbing every detail about the rich bastard. "His company, Fullbuster Enterprise, is the leader in revolutionizing how people live today. Sure, they make smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc. But did you know that they made glasses that could act similarly to a smart phone? For example, if you need a GPS while driving, the glasses could act as one! You could even take a picture, see a compass, send a message, and even make a phone call with it!"

"Are you serious? All that with glasses?" I asked unbelievingly. How could a pair of glasses do all that?

"Yeah, they're so popular that even a pair could sell up to $10K! And they only made it in limited quantities. They also invented an electronic car that can run up to 300 miles! Charging the vehicle back to 100% will only cost you around $2.34 each time! Can you believe that? Imagine all the money you would save on gas! Fullbuster Enterprise is even working on holograms that you can use as personal assistants!"

"Wow." I was surprised. Gray's company does all of this? Strange; he definitely didn't give off that personality or impression when I first met him. Great, I feel really shitty but he was still an asshole.

"Yeah but that's just a small overview. But I'm sure you're more interested in learning more about Gray right?" I nodded my head slowly. "Well, according to the paparazzi, he tends to sleep around every now and again. He doesn't seem to care about anything or anyone that doesn't intrigue him whether it comes to people or electronics. However, he does have a select group of people that he relies and in that group is a person named Juvia."

"Juvia? Isn't she someone who loves Gray or something?" Zeref smiled approvingly.

"So you do know a bit about him." I looked away as I scratched my face nervously, worried that he might think I'm a stalker or something. "No need to be so timid. Anyway, you're right. Juvia tends to keep people who she sees as love rivals away from Gray at all times but he doesn't seem to care. In fact, he relies on her as his personal secretary when it comes to booking things such as flights, events, meetings, etc. Unfortunately, that's pretty much everything I have since I got most of this information from the local gossip around the bar."

"Really? You got all of this at the bar?"

"Yep, you'd be surprised at how much people are willing to share their dirty little secrets after a drink or two." Hm. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised then.

"Thanks, I really appreciate what you've shared. I'm not too sure what I'll do with all that information but I'll think of something."

"Don't mention it. And hey, if you need anything else, let me know. You know you have my number." I smiled as he started to gather his things back into his bag but I pulled the glass I used a little closer to me. I waited to see a confused expression before sharing my plan.

"Let me keep this. I'll clean it and return it to you when I see you next time."

"Is that so? You're so nice!" He said with a laugh, which kind of annoyed me. "Well," He stood up from his seat and slowly put on his jacket. "I'll see you around and hopefully, I'll get that job." He held his bag tightly and gently pushed the chair in.

"Yeah, me too." We smiled at each other and honestly, something was bothering me. Why does he help me out so much? It doesn't make sense and yeah, he may say we're friends but we've never actually hung out. There has to be something more.

"Hey, uh… Zeref?" I stopped him from fully turning around, which caused him to bring his attention back to me.

"What's up?" I looked away, not really able to ask why so directly. Should I really ask? Hmm, well if it's bothering me this much, I should. "Thinking hard again?" I glanced back to see his head tilted, eyes closed, and a smile. "Are you wondering why I help you so much?" I tried to hide my astonishment by keeping a straight face but when he opened his eyes, I couldn't stop myself from looking away again. "Who knows why? Maybe you and I will find out one day. See ya!" Before I could stop him, he was already half way out of the patisserie as I kept thinking about what he said. 'Maybe you and I'? Was that supposed to be a riddle? See? Everything just has to be so complicated.

I wonder if you're thinking about me Gray.

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**Author Note**: And this is the end of the chapter! Sorry about the long wait everyone! I have an evaluation this Friday for a possible promotion so it'll be a little hectic for me at work. In advance, I apologize if the next chapter comes out a little later than usual. However, I did find myself distracted by Red and Green in the Pokémon series while writing this chapter. They're such an adorable couple that I found. I'm totally in love when I read Doujinshi about them, which makes me wonder if I can find some Gray and Natsu ones. Let me know if there are! Until next time everyone, and _please,_ leave a review! They always keep me going to write more!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Note: **I can't believe we're finally at the tenth chapter of Pastry King! I hope everyone who joined me on this writing adventure has enjoyed the story thus far and will continue to read until the end! If you can, please share your thoughts through a review! Your thoughts keep me going! Have fun!

**Title:** Pastry King

**Rating: **T

**Pairings****: **Gray x Natsu

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and its characters do not belong to me.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**RadioHeart:** Fret not, for here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

**Mgluvsbl25:** You know, I was trying to figure out what your name stands for and I've come to this conclusion: 'Oh my gosh, I love Boys Love something 25'. Was I close? Anyway, yeah, I'm actually thinking of somehow pairing Jellal up with Zeref. What do you think?

**CsillaDream:** You're so right. I only found one doujin called 'One Night'. Why aren't there more!? I forgive you for not reviewing Chapter 8 but make sure you review this time too! I really liked your review since it was very detailed! And yeah, I love the way I portrayed Zeref's personality - it meshes well with the others don't you think?

**Killua17, darkhuntressxir, AsDarknessSpreads:** Thanks for your reviews! I appreciate you taking the time to jot something down for me to read. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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**Natsu's POV**

~Wednesday, 22:02~

"You don't have to stay here with me." I turned the oven on to medium-high heat while combining the cream and milk as I waited for a response.

"It's fine. I don't mind staying here with you. If anything, it's another opportunity to learn." I paused to look at my protegé who was busy scribbling something on his notepad.

"If you say so." When I saw steam begin to rise from the surface and a couple of small bubbles forming at the edge of the pan, I turned the oven off and slowly poured the mixture into a heatproof bowl making sure not to burn myself. I brought the bowl over to a whisking machine and set it to slowest speed so that the ingredients wouldn't fly everywhere.

"So what are you about to do now?" I picked up a bowl full of ingredients and began to pour it slowly into the cream and milk, making sure it blends perfectly.

"I'm mixing in some egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some salt with the cream and milk."

"Sounds like you're making some type of ice cream."

"Nice job. That's exactly what I'm preparing." When everything blended together, I took the bowl from the whisking machine and poured the mixture back into the pan. I turned the knob to medium heat as I made sure to stir it slowly and constantly with a wooden spoon.

"What kind though?"

"Don't worry. You'll find out soon. One tip, when you're making ice cream, make sure that the custard doesn't boil. Otherwise, the end product won't be as good." I glanced over to Sting who started to jot some notes again.

"Got it. So when would be the best time to stop heating it?"

"In about eight or ten minutes, I'll show you." I grinned at Sting when he looked annoyed by my answer.

"I hope you know you're a difficult teacher sometimes." I gave my protegé such a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" He placed his pen and notepad down as he leaned back on his elbows at the end of my workstation.

"Well, you're very vague but at least you're easy to please."

"I'm not easy to please. You make very good pastries so stop doubting yourself. Isn't that why you're here? So you can further your skills in the kitchen?" The room became a bit silent and all you could hear was me stirring the pan.

"You have a point." I paused my stirring to look up at Sting who seemed lost in his thoughts. Heh, reminds me earlier this morning after I saw Zeref. I just couldn't believe it. How ironic is it that I spent all morning thinking about how I could get in touch with Gray just to have Erza tell me that we're going to see him this Saturday because of a party he's throwing. Apparently, the event is to commemorate the opening of our second patisserie and that he's broadening his 'horizon' from electronics to restaurants. And what does that mean? That means not only will everyone at Fairy Tail's Patisserie attend but also the top executives from Fullbuster Enterprise. Not exactly the kind of reunion I was planning. "Um, Natsu?" I bet that jerk isn't thinking of me since he's so high and mighty. "Why did you stop stirring? It's starting to boil." If that's the case, then why should I bother making him something. Although, he did appreciate it when I made him sticky buns before. "So we're going to have sex right?"

"Wait, what?" I turned to the blondie who looked away as he started to laugh.

"Well I had to say something to get your attention. Get back to stirring before it starts to boil." When I looked back to the pan, I saw a couple of bubbles start to form as I quickly stirred the ingredients to get rid of them. "You look like you were thinking about something. Mind sharing?"

"It was nothing. Anyway, look at the spoon." When it looked like the custard had thicken enough, I took out the wooden spoon. The custard stuck to the spoon and I ran a finger across the back of it. "See?" I turned the spoon in his direction so he would have a better look. "The custard left a path on the spoon. That means it's ready." I handed the spoon to him as I grabbed a clean bowl on the opposite side of my station and poured the custard into it. "Do me a favor. Can you get me a bowl that's bigger than this and fill it halfway with ice and cold water?"

"Sure, no problem." As he walked away, I grabbed a saucepan and placed it over the oven before putting four tablespoons of unsalted butter. "Is this enough?" I glanced over to the bowl he was holding and nodded my head.

"Yeah. Leaving the custard in the bowl, place it into the one you're holding and stir it once in a while. Once it's chilled, put it in the fridge and set the timer for an hour." Underneath my workstation, I opened a mini-cooler and grabbed some pears, ginger and lemon juice I prepared earlier today.

"What do I do when the timer goes off?"

"I'll let you know when the hour has passed." I added the pears, brown sugar, lemon juice, and ginger into the pan and began to cook everything while occasionally stirring.

"See? That's what I mean when you're so vague." I glanced over to Sting just in time to see him bring his face closer to the custard. "So are you going to tell me what kind of ice cream you're making? Or do I still have to wait?" He turned his head towards me while I continued to stir the pan without looking away from him.

"Like I said, you'll see soon enough."

"Sheesh, you're such a tease it's killing me." I rolled my eyes as I brought my attention back to the pan. I pushed one of the pears down to see if it was tender but it was halfway there in the process. Probably about five more minutes before I go to the next step. "Anyway, don't think I'm going to let you get away without answering my question."

"What question?" Man, this guy is really nosy.

"You know what question. When I asked you what you were thinking about." I kept quiet, not really sure how to proceed. I really don't feel like telling someone who basically professed his love to me that I'm interested in someone else. I didn't want to crush him like that. "If it helps, this is how you can make it up to me for not hanging out last Saturday." I stared at my protegé again as he started the time after putting the custard into the fridge.

"Fine." I turned back to the pan and after prodding the pear again, they were finally tender. I threw in some cornstarch and watched it cook as the juices began to thicken after about a minute. I took the pan and moved it away from the heat on the opposite side of my workstation where Sting was. I stirred in some almond extract and once it blended, I left it alone so it could cool to room temperature.

"So I think you were about to tell me something right?" I gave a minor glare to my protegé who simply stared back. "What? It was just a question." Great, now how exactly am I going to phrase this to him? Sorry that I don't like you but here I am telling you how I can't get a certain someone out of my mind. If Zeref were here, he'd probably say how I'm acting like a high school girl with a crush. I shook my head at the thought as I grabbed a sheet tray from the shelf and lined it with parchment paper. "It's fine, you don't need to tell me." When I glanced over to the blonde, he looked genuinely sad. But why? Because I'm not answering his question?

"All right, all right. I'll tell you but first, can you get some pie dough out?" He nodded his head as he quickly grabbed it from the store-room in the back and handed me a small batch.

"Is this enough?" I nodded my head as I began to throw some flour on the surface of my workstation. Once complete, I stared at it thinking about how I should phrase what I'm about to say.

"I was thinking about how we have that party on Saturday."

"You mean the one we're having at the super luxurious hotel, Blue Pegasus?"

"That's the one. I was just thinking about who's going to be there and such. I'm not really a big fan of parties."

"That's funny considering the work we do." I chuckled a bit at his comment.

"True but I usually let Lyon handle all the publicity. I don't make pastries to be famous. I make them because I love them and apparently, I make some of the best ones in Magnolia."

"You do." I brought my eyes to Sting and took in the fact that his expression became more serious yet sincere. "If you didn't, I wouldn't be here now. Sure, I said that I wanted to work with you because I saw you in a magazine but you were the best because that's what you are - the best. And even though I've only worked with you for about a week and a half, you're an entirely different person than I thought you would be. You're more serious, sometimes rash, and you tend to keep to yourself." I looked away as I rubbed some flour on my hands and started to roll out one dough disk.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Using a circle cutter, I cut out eight rounds of dough and began to roll out the remaining dough so that I could use it as well.

"Neither really. I just expected you to be a bit different is all." Without another comment, I cut out the remaining dough and started to transfer each round dough to the sheet tray. I paused for a second to look at the clock and saw that it was 23:28. Great. And I have work at 06:00 for more interviews. "Anyway, how were the interviews today? Did you find anyone good?"

"Well, Lisanna's sister actually applied and Jellal thought she was pretty good so we're going to hire her as a maid. Can you get me a puff pastry sheet?" He nodded his head and began to walk away.

"What's her name?" He yelled from the store-room but I waited for him before answering.

"I think it was Mirajane." Sting slowly placed it the pastry sheet on the floured surface I used not too long ago as I began to cut out four rounds using a smaller circle cutter.

"Did you find anyone else?" I smiled as I made my way to the middle part of the pastry sheet.

"We also found a butler named Zeref that we're also planning to hire. Now that I think of it, Jellal actually seemed more excited about hiring Zeref than Mirajane."

"Do you know Zeref?" I momentarily paused but quickly tried to cover it up by cutting the remaining pastry sheet.

"No, not particularly. Why do you ask?"

"You smiled when you said his name."

"I did? Must be your imagination." I took the sheet tray and placed them in the cooler so that they could stay cold. I'll finish them tomorrow night.

"You know, I haven't seen Gray in a while, have you?" I felt myself freeze at sound of his name but tried to hide it again by closing the cooler door.

"Nope. I've been busy interviewing, remember?" I avoided any eye contact with Sting for fear that he would learn the truth.

"True. Oh wait! What am I saying? He actually stopped by as we were closing tonight." That's when I turned to stare at the blonde and when I did, I saw a huge grin form on his face. "I knew it. You like Gray don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" I scoffed at his question when I began to clean my workstation. "What in the world would make you think I like Gray?"

"I'm not stupid you know. I actually thought for a second you liked Zeref when I saw you stop for a second but when I brought up Gray, you froze for a lot longer."

"Can I ask why you're bringing this up?" I turned around, deciding to face Sting. When our eyes met, we stared at each other for what felt like forever.

"I guess I was just curious. Sorry, I didn't mean to poke in your business like that even though we _are _alone. Here, I'll help you." He grabbed a multipurpose rag from a green bucket and began cleaning my workstation as I did the same on the opposite side.

"It's fine. I'm just happy you asked me in private."

"Eh, it's something everyone should do I think." I honestly couldn't agree more when I remembered how Lyon kept pestering me in the limo last week. "But yeah, Gray was here when you were interviewing. He said he was looking for Erza but it didn't make sense since he should have known Erza was interviewing too." Once I was done cleaning my side, I dropped the rag back into the green bucket and grabbed a rag from the red bucket.

"Did he find her?" Sting shrugged his shoulders as he also grabbed a rag from the sanitizer bucket.

"I don't know. I think he was heading over there around 19:00? Was she even there?" I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I left around that time since our interviews didn't get done until then. I'm pretty sure she stayed behind to organize a couple of things. I don't know how she works so much." I heard him laugh a bit, which caused me to glance at my protegé.

"You work hard too. Look at you. After a whole day of interviewing, you came straight over here and began working on whatever this is. You're lucky I stayed behind to practice myself; otherwise, you would have been all alone." He said teasingly as I shook my head.

"Whatever." When I dropped the rag back into the bucket, I couldn't help but be a little mad at myself. I had a chance to see Gray tonight but I missed it! Damn it.

"By the way, you didn't say you found other chefs."

"No but I think Erza said something about you joining us at the new patisserie since you're my protegé and all."

"Really!? That would be awesome!" It would actually be good if Sting were to join me since he has amazing quality even though he still has a lot to learn. "But wait, wouldn't that mean one of chefs you would hire would have to come over here and work with Lyon and Loki?"

"Yeah. In every Fairy Tail Patisserie, I prefer if we had three chefs and two people working in the front of the house. That's why our prices are so expensive compared to other places. We pump out quality, not quantity."

"Yeah but what if someone gets sick or something? Who do you have to take their place?" When I saw that my workstation was all cleaned up, I brought some of the dirty pans to the sink.

"Why is the light still on?" I heard the front door open, which made me look over to Sting. We both stared at the kitchen door hearing footsteps slowly approach the kitchen. As soon as it opened, I laughed to myself remembering that we had overnight employees. "Natsu? What the hell are you still doing here?"

"Hey Gajeel, long time no see!"

"Don't tell me you're still working." A voice popped up from behind Gajeel revealing another raven. "You're going to overwork yourself one day."

"And Rogue is here too!"

"Of course he's here! Do you think I would be here by myself?" I chuckled nervously at Gajeel's hostility as I quickly tried to finish my work. He was the type of person that likes to come in, do his work, and get out. Still, he gets the job done efficiently and effectively.

"No need to yell. I'm already done cleaning up so I'm about to leave. You ready Sting?" I stared at Sting but he didn't respond; however, he was gazing at something with great intensity. I followed his line of sight and he was either looking at Gajeel or Rogue but I wasn't sure who exactly. "Sting? Anyone home?"

"Huh? Oh sorry! Yeah, I'm ready." The blondie quickly made his way into the locker room but as he passed, I could have sworn I saw a red tint on his cheeks. Was he blushing? Hah, he feels embarrassed.

"So how is everything? I haven't seen you in a long time." I turned to Rogue as he took off his jacket and hung it on the rack next to the door.

"Same as usual except we're opening a second patisserie in the heart of the city. Right now, we're interviewing so hopefully, we'll find two more chefs and two overnight employees."

"If it helps, I can see if one of my friends would be interested."

"Yeah, that would be great! Thanks Rogue - appreciate it!" He nodded his head as he took his place next to Gajeel and began washing some of the pans.

"So why are you still here?" I stared at Gajeel's back as I rubbed the back of my head.

"I'm getting ready for this party we're having on Saturday. That reminds me, you two are also invited if you're interested."

"I'm good." As I suspected…

"On Saturday? I don't have any plans but I don't really know anyone else that works in the kitchen besides you and Erza." I walked over to the three-compartment sink and swung my arm around Rouge's shoulders.

"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll fit in with the rest of the group! Besides, I'll be there right?" I smiled at him as he nodded his head and went back to the dishes. Ah boy, I wonder what Saturday will be like. If I see Gray, I'm not sure what I'll do. Should I ignore him? Talk to him? Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

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**Author Note**: And that's the end of the chapter! I hope you'll appreciate the fact I got this chapter up only four days from my last update! My motivation to keep writing this story has really increased thanks to your reviews as well as the fact we're basically at the climax of the story! Or are we? Stay tuned for the next chapter and keep those reviews coming! And I'm still waiting to hear from you Mr. Johan Lee and Nori of the Sea! P.S. I got promoted!


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